Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum
by MidnightRosebud
Summary: Shinkenger/Gokaiger AU. Sequel to "Ceteris Paribus." How do you survive in a country controlled by merciless rulers hellbent on maximizing your pain, prolonging your nightmares? Will you consent to trust what notorious criminals and turncoats offer in your desperation? Can you afford not to? Tainted innocence, twisted justice, unrelenting sorrow - the price paid for bitter revenge.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:** While on the darker side, there will be moments of light as well. I promise. Enjoy!

* * *

 ** _Fiat Justitia Ruat_** _ **Coelum**  
Let Justice be done though the Heavens Fall_

 _Prologue_

 _Mako awoke slowly as a strange hissing sound filtered into her dreams._

 _She looked across the bed and smiled at the slumbering form of her husband before slipping out from beneath the sheets, and tiptoeing her way across the woven soft rush flooring to open the sliding paper doors._

 _Sensing her lack of warmth, Takeru stirred. His blurry gaze took in the sight of his wife's form as she gazed out in wonder at the abundance of water that cascaded from the sky in sheets. Pushing himself to his feet he roused himself from the bedcovers to join her in the doorway, his arms sliding around her from behind to encircle her waist._

 _Mako smiled, leaning into his embrace with a whisper of awe. "It's raining."_

 _He kissed her shoulder where her sleepwear had slipped open, revealing bare skin. "Did it wake you?"_

" _It's still so new," she admitted with a shiver of delight at his touch. "But it's soothing." His hands slid from her waist to smooth over her stomach, tracing the bump there and her smile gentled. "She's okay. She was just curious about the sound, too."_

" _She?"_

 _Mako nodded. "Just a feeling." She turned in his embrace, meeting his dark, sleepy eyes. "Would you prefer a son?"_

 _Takeru gave her a chaste, warm kiss. "So long as you are both happy and healthy, so will I be."_

 _Mako felt warmth surge through her. She returned his kiss with one of her own, deepening it within moments, passion escalating as rain continued to fall outside._

A crash of thunder sounded and Mako jolted awake, tears staining her cheeks. A streak of lightening lit up the room, followed swiftly by another boom of thunder, the rain falling in torrents outside.

Her hands traveled to her flat stomach to encircle her waist as she stared at the unfamiliar stone walls lit up by the brief, constant flashes of light.

Memories assaulted her, stealing the very breath from her lungs as the pain brought with them threatened to shatter her very bones.

Her cot creaked underneath her as she shifted to scrunch herself into a tight, tiny ball. Gathering her threadbare, moth-eaten blanket close, she wished desperately for home as tears fell faster than the rain.


	2. Word of Advice

**Author's** **Note:** I suppose it's been a long time coming now, but I finally sat myself down to write out this sequel. I'd played with the idea for a long time, not sure if I wanted to do it, but as I couldn't get it out of my head here it is. I hope I do all the characters justice. If not, please tell me when I slip up. Especially as this will be first real hand at all the Goukaiger characters. :) Constructive Criticism is always welcomed.

 _Disclaimer: I do not own Shinkenger, Goukaiger, or any of their characters. I simply borrow them for amusement._

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum  
**  
Chapter One: Word of Advice_

Mako awoke exhausted in the early hours of another cold gray dawn her fingers reaching out for the warmth of another only to meet cold, frigid air. Her eyes opened blearily as reality crashed back in around her. With a bleak frown she drew her hand back and ran it through her hair instead as her heart gave a twinge of pain. It appeared that habits weren't easily broken – or forgotten.

She stretched out on her tiny cot, her limbs aching from being held in such a tight, stiff position for so long. The narrow space didn't allow for much movement, nor was its thin surface very comfortable. It was a purely functionary piece of furniture, if even that.

A soft sound, not even a true noise, roused her from her bed. Drawing the scratchy blanket close, Mako climbed off the cot to settle on the cold, stone floor next to the tiny basket she kept at her bedside. With a soft cooing sound she lifted the bundle of clothes and rags into her arms and rocked it back and forth.

With gentle fingers Mako shifted the blankets aside, shivering in the cold. She smiled, though her eyes were tired, to see that the quiet, dark eyes looking up at her were as bright and curious as always.

"Good morning, little one. How did you manage to sleep through the storm last night?" She asked as she drew him closer inside her arms and blanket before moving back to sit on the cot. It wasn't any more comfortable than the floor, but it was better than having the aching chill leeching into her body from the frigid stones beneath her rump.

Another quiet sound came from the bundle in her arms. "I know, I know. You're hungry." She shifted the warm weight in her arms and adjusted her clothing so that he could reach what he wanted. With a quiet sigh Mako leaned against the stone wall behind her, eyes sliding shut as she fed the child in her arms.

She awoke with a start at a quiet knock on her door. Realizing she had drifted off with a pang of alarm, Mako looked down at the tiny bundle to see a dreaming, contented face looking back at her. With a silent sound of relief she straightened her clothing and shifted the baby to her shoulder as another knock sounded.

A jangle of keys followed by the turning of tumblers in the lock of her wooden door had her sitting up straighter. She relaxed fractionally as a young woman slipped into the room, tray in hand. Her dark curls were pulled back from her sweet face with its usual pink ribbon, the color fading after so many washings.

Her smile was gentle as she made her way over to Mako with the soft grace any dancer would envy. Her plain, woolen dress skimmed the floor, showing the barest hint of ankle when she leaned over to pick up a stray bit of clothing off the ground, balancing the tray in her other hand. "How are you feeling today, Ms. Mako?"

Mako smiled at the familiarity. She had long ago insisted that the young woman stop calling her "Ms. Shiba," the memories it brought with the name too painful to bare at the time.

"Exhausted," Mako admitted, her stomach clenching in hunger as she caught a whiff of the food the gentle woman held in her hands.

"Yes, it was a terrible storm last night, wasn't it?" The young woman continued conversationally. "It woke me as well."

Mako studied the woman closer, noting the faint traces of dark circles under her eyes. She felt sympathy stir. "Ahim?"

"Yes, Ms. Mako?" The young woman turned from the tray she was arranging on the plain wooden table, the only other furniture in the room aside from a worn wooden chair placed at its side. Early morning light reflected off the silver band encircling her neck.

Mako cringed inwardly at the sight, her mouth closing into a thin line as the door swung open and a stern-faced guard glowered from the doorway.

"Hurry it up," he barked.

Ahim straightened, her shoulders rolling back into her usual perfect posture as she regarded Mako with schooled features. "Will you be joining us today?"

Mako felt the tiny shift of weight in her arms, and held the tiny bundle closer. "No," she whispered, her eyes downcast.

Something like disappointment and sympathy shone through the other woman's eyes. She glanced at the guard in the doorway. "I would like another moment with her, if you would please."

The guard scowled but snapped the door closed with a "make it quick."

When she was sure the door was shut fast Ahim moved to kneel in front of Mako, taking one of her hands in hers.

"Please," she urged. "Join us. You cannot stay locked in this room forever. If you serve them you will –"

"I refuse to be in service to those demons you call monarchs," Mako hissed with such vehemence that the child in her arms stirred at her tone.

Ahim bit her lip, her gaze darting to the door with an anxious glance before she turned back to Mako, her voice so quiet Mako had to strain to listen. "I know some people," she began. "People who can help, but you _must_ trust me in this, Ms. Mako. You have to agree to serve the king and queen first."

"To be marked as a slave for the rest of my days in return? How can these people be of any help when you are as much a prisoner here as I am?"

Ahim flushed, her fingers unconsciously reaching up to touch the silver band around her neck. Mako was immediately filled with shame at her outburst.

"I'm sorry, Ahim," she whispered.

The young woman only smiled in return. "Do not worry, Ms. Mako. You have every right to question my motivations. In fact, I respect you all the more for it." She glanced over at the door, her grip tightening around Mako's hand. She stared into Mako's eyes in earnest. "If not for your own sake, than for the sake of your child, I implore you to rethink your decision, Ms. Mako. I do not wish to see any more harm come to you or your son should you refuse their Majesties request again." A scratching sound at the door had the young woman's anxiety shining through her usual smile. "I fear their patience is running thin."

Ahim rose to her feet as the door swung open for the second third time. "That's enough time," the guard snarled. "Out!"

The young woman gave Mako a quick curtsey before leaving through the door the guard held open for her, her shoulders back and her head held as high as a woman of royal blood. The wooden door slammed shut and locked behind her, sealing mother and child alone inside once more.

* * *

Released from the heavy glare of the guard, Ahim slipped into the warm, bustling kitchen, her eyes seeking out a blond head of hair amongst the controlled chaos. Spotting the man with his arms elbow-deep in flour she hurried over with an anxious frown.

The young man glanced over at her approach, his smile dimming as he caught sight of her face. "I take it she didn't listen to your advice again?"

Ahim shook her head, hands tightening against her stomach in worry. "I tried to warn her that their Majesties' patience has worn thin, but I fear she will not heed my counsel." She sighed quietly, her hands reaching out to help the young man at his work as he slid over to let her cut the dough he'd just finished rolling out. "I cannot blame her for her refusal after what she has gone through, however stubborn it may seem."

The young man glanced at her briefly as he began mixing ingredients to make a new batch of dough. "That's not all that has you worried though."

She started for a moment, surprised at his insight, before glancing around the kitchen. She shifted closer until their shoulders were almost touching, her voice a quiet murmur. "I told her about Marvelous."

" _What!_ " The young man yelped, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Ahim stole a quick glance around, noting a few curious eyes that quickly returned back to their harried work. "Please try to be quieter; we do not want to draw more attention than we already do."

" _Ahim_ ," the young man scolded. "Why would you tell her about –" he glanced over his shoulder "– about _him?_ "

"She needs our help," the brunette insisted, her curls swinging as she shifted the cutouts to a tray.

"If you hadn't noticed, you're not exactly in a position to be offering much assistance." He looked pointedly at the silver band around her neck.

Ignoring his look, Ahim's hands continued their work without faltering. "She has a family to return to."

The blond studied her for a long minute. "So do you."

"I do not have a husband and children," she countered softly.

The young man winced. "If what the men who brought her here said is true, neither does she."

"Hey! Doc!" A voice called from across the kitchen. "Can you give me a hand?"

"Just a second," the young man answered back, brushing a small cloud of flour off his hands before dodging his way through the crowded room to help one of the cooks.

Ahim pulled Doc's abandoned mixing bowl over as she handed her finished tray off to the stressed but grateful smile of one of the bakers. As she moved the wooden spoon through the thickening mixture she thought over Doc's words. She glanced at the ceiling as if she could see through the stone flooring to the tiny room of the young mother and her child.

"Only half true, as always," she whispered to the dough. "If one still lives, why not the other?"


	3. The Choices We Make

**Author's Note:** Constructive Criticism is always welcomed. Enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Two: The Choices We Make_

Mako yanked her arm out of the tight grip of the guard, doing her best to glare at him in reproach at his less-than-gentle handling. He scowled back but let her walk on her own as they neared the dais in the center of the room, pausing in front of the pair of thrones.

Two figures sat in the intricately carved wooden seats, cushioned upon crimson velvet. The man was fair of hair, his shoulders broad and his chest well-muscled; a body accustomed to physical combat. His eyes were chips of ice and just as unfeeling except when they were alight with the pain of others. His smile was just as cold as he surveyed her struggles and defiance with an almost eager anticipation.

The woman at his side was one that was all too familiar. Her dark hair hung in ringlets down to her waist. Her equally dark eyes were as dark as a bottomless pit and just as devoid of compassion. She was as beautiful as her husband was strong, but her beauty was severe, as if cut from volcanic glass – and just as ready to cut down those around her with the tiniest bit of pressure.

The woman's smile was as sharp. "Hello, dear sister. Are we finally ready to take our proper place in the world?"

Mako's glare was full of animosity. "You're no sister of mine, Kamilla."

Kamilla's smile froze, her eyes narrowing. "That's _Queen_ Kamilla to you." She eased back in her chair with a forced relaxation. "Although, I suppose 'Your Majesty' will do just as nicely."

Mako folded her arms across her chest. "Of all the men in the world, only _you_ would willingly choose a madman as your husband."

Kamilla looked at the man beside her with an amused smile. "Isn't she charming, Almanzor, dear?"

"It appears that the stories are true, for once," he acknowledged. "As beautiful as she is remote, with all the charm of a pit viper."

Kamilla's smile faltered at the mention of Mako's beauty. She looked upon Mako with malice swimming beneath the surface. "Perhaps if she refuses service we can find a use for that beauty – I hear the field hands are looking for a new scarecrow." Her smile was all teeth. "Don't worry, dear. We'd be sure to stuff you with enough straw that your body would last through the winter."

Mako met Kamilla's gaze with a neutral one of her own, refusing to engage in the queen's games.

"We've been very patient," Almanzor sat back with a sigh. "What is your answer – a lifetime of service for your crimes against your family or will we be hastening your departure from this world?"

"I hear Death is always lonesome." Kamilla's eyes shone like obsidian. "A little harlot like her would be welcome in His house, I would think."

"Patience, love." Almanzor lay a hand on his wife's arm. "As eager as I am to see your justice seek fulfillment, I would appreciate a little cooperation on behalf of her family first."

Mako felt the first bits of unease prick. "What do you want with my home?"

"Your country, particularly its ruler, has been rather, shall we say – _difficult_ in coming to terms with certain trade proposals." He folded his hands together in his lap, the posture of one who was entirely relaxed but his eyes watched her like a hawk does its prey.

"Kaoru has every right to refuse to trade with you. Why would we agree to an alliance with a merciless tyrant and his equally _charming,_ " she eyed Kamilla with distaste, "wife?"

"Cute, sister, very cute." Kamilla's tone said it was anything but.

"You are correct, however," Almanzor conceded with a bow of his head. "But now that we have a few more cards in our hands, I believe your young ruler will come to see things our way." He waved to the pair of guards standing at attention at the door. "As will you."

Mako heard the doors being pulled open but refused to turn her back on this pair of rulers until she heard a sound that stopped her heart cold.

The unhappy cries of a young infant echoed off the stone cavern of the main hall as a guard strode in with a tiny bundle in his arms. Mako felt the blood drain from her face.

A large hand clamped down on her shoulder when she tried to rush to her son's side. Terror thrilled through her as Kamilla stood from her throne, every feature of her face shining with anticipation as she motioned for the guard to bring the infant to her.

"Leave him alone," Mako gasped, as the guard deposited her child in Kamilla's arms.

Kamilla studied the infant for a long moment. Mako's heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her, ready to move into flight the instant Kamilla had a _thought_ to harm her son.

"As the threat of harming you seems not to bother you a wit, we thought we'd change tactics," Almanzor continued conversationally, watching the child in his wife's arms with an almost hungry gleam. He pinned Mako with those eyes and Mako felt an icy chill race down her back.

"So we offer one last time – how do you choose to repent for your hand in the murder of the King of the former kingdom of Aduro and the crimes against the rest of your kin?" His eyes shown with an almost unholy glee. "A lifetime of servitude? Or do we drop your child from the ramparts?"

"You've already taken a child and husband from me," Mako bit out, her tears refusing to fall even as the pain of remembrance tore through her heart like a knife. "Isn't that enough?"

"Oh dear, sweet sister," Kamilla's voice was as soft as it was deadly. "It will _never_ be enough."

"What is your choice?"

"That is no choice," Mako glared at the king, a surge of anger coursing through her veins. She held out her arms to the queen. "Return my child and you will get what you want."

"I hardly believe you're in a position to be giving demands," Kamilla warned, her voice cold. She looked down at the child in her arms with distaste, his cries working up into a squall. She cringed in repulsion before thrusting the infant back towards the guard. "And a word of caution, _sister_. The world has no need of the dirty mutts spawned from a demon mongrel and his bitch. You _will_ obey your every order or your brat's lifespan will be as long as the fall from the parapets to the moat."

Almanzor waved at Mako's guard with a flick of his wrist. "Take her first to the blacksmith. Then see if they can't put her to work somewhere."

Mako clutched her child to her chest, allowing the guard to drag her out of the room as she tried to calm her son, his face flushed from his cries. Her mind raced with the new information.

 _Our only value is as ransom._ She glanced back at the monarchs one last time before the doors swung shut behind her. _And how long do we live once that ransom has been paid?_

The guard at her side scowled down at the bundle. "Can't you make that thing stop crying?"

"He's a _child_ not a _thing_ ," Mako snapped back. "And he's hungry."

"I won't put up with its howling all the way to the smithy and back."

"Then what do _you_ suggest I do with him?"

The guard snagged the arm of a young woman walking by, her arms full of linens. "Take care of it."

Ahim looked up, her eyes wide with innocence. "It, sir?"

"The thing in her arms," he elaborated with a jerk of his head toward the bundle.

Mako relaxed when she caught the sharp intelligence behind the innocent façade of the young woman's face. She wouldn't be surprised if the gentle servant had been waiting around the corner for just this reason.

Without a word, Ahim stepped closer and held her arms open so that Mako could slide the child into her arms. "I will look after him until you return," she promised softly, holding the child close with an assurance and gentleness that set Mako's frayed nerves at ease.

"Thank you," Mako murmured. Their eyes met briefly and Ahim gave her the barest of nods, her smile uneasy but her eyes kind.

"Move it," the guard shoved at Mako, making her stumble.

Ahim bit her lip as she watched the young mother being led away, mouth set stubbornly as she glared at the guard. She touched the silver band around her neck with a faint grimace before slipping down a quiet hallway and out of sight.

* * *

Mako breathed in a lungful of fresh but chilled air as her guard led her out into the weak sunshine. She squinted against the meager light even as she welcomed the feeble warmth.

How long had it been since she'd last felt the sunshine on her face? Her mind shied away from the answer.

She fell behind, trying to linger in the open air for just a moment longer – her last under the skies as a free woman.

A wooden door creaked on its hinges as it was opened, the guard standing by it impatiently as she made her way over. The heat inside the enclosed space left her fingers aching as they thawed, the ring of metal on metal making her jump as her eyes adjusted to the dimmer light.

As her sight wandered over inside of the stone building, Mako was drawn against her will to the well-stoked fires. She held her hands out to the warmth and shivered as the heat wrapped itself around her like a lover's embrace. She watched the guard and the blacksmith converse in low tones, the latter throwing glances her way as they spoke.

She thought she detected a glimmer of sympathy in his gaze, but when he moved closer, his look was carefully blank. Coarse, grimy hands grasped her chin in a firm but not unkind grip, lifting her head to inspect her neck with a practiced eye.

"King wants another one o' silver, is it?" His voice, roughened after years of smoke and soot was indifferent as he took quick, efficient measurements.

"That's the order," the guard responded. "Want me to stay and keep a firm grip on her for you?"

The blacksmith spared the guard the briefest of glances. "That won't be necessary." He looked back at Mako. "Will it?"

She didn't answer but something in her eyes must have reassured him as he waved the guard aside. "Take a break. I'll send her along when we finish."

The guard looked like he was going to argue, but the lure of a respite was too great a temptation and he left with a curt warning to Mako to not cause trouble.

When the door had shut behind him the blacksmith sighed gustily before dropping Mako's chin and moving to the other side of the room where some tools lay on a counter.

"Don't know what you did to draw the favor of the king, but I suggest you keep your head down after this if you want to keep it attached to your neck."

Mako's arms wrapped around herself – chilled – despite the heat emanating in the room. "There's little else he can take from me."

The blacksmith glanced at her with something akin to pity. "What little you have, he'll claim. Make no mistake about that." The sounds of soft _clinks_ filled the air as he sifted through a drawer. "Keep your head down and what's left close. Maybe then you'll survive a few more years yet."

Mako frowned at his words. "I was told I'd serve for the rest of my life."

The blacksmith pulled out a silver band, identical to the one that rested around Ahim's neck, and made his way over to Mako with true pity in his eyes now. "Aye, but they never said how long that life would be, did they?"

Mako's arms drew tighter around her as she eyed the thing in his hands with dread.

"Folk don't live long in this land to begin with. The king is too quick to hand out his justice for the smallest slight." The blacksmith turned the pretty band over, the shiny metal catching the warm orange glow of the forge. "And after the overthrow of her father's rule, his new queen is more than a little paranoid. She knows all too well how quick things can change." He pinned Mako with a heavy gaze. "How quickly even the lives o' royalty can change."

Mako looked away with a grimace. "Kingdoms rise and fall every day."

He nodded. "True enough." He motioned for Mako to hold her hair out of the way. "And as happy as she is to now have you under her thumb, I believe her Majesty is right to be more than a little wary of you still."

Mako's free hand clenched in the folds of her dress as the cool metal slid around her neck, fighting the overwhelming urge to yank it off.

"Easy," the large man murmured as watched the panic surge in her eyes.

"She has what she wants," Mako's whisper was harsh. "What is left that can possibly unnerve her?"

He tilted her head higher as he began to fasten the band shut. "The fact is, Miss, you have the queen rattled simply by being alive."

Mako couldn't see what he was doing, but the acrid tang of heat and metal filled her senses. True panic threatened to surface as old fears of strangulation surfaced. "How does my being alive scare Kamilla?"

A gentle hand moved her chin from side to side as he inspected his work. Satisfied, the blacksmith released her and began gathering his tools.

Mako's fingers flew to the new permanent jewelry fastened around her neck. The man had done his job well; she couldn't find a single seam in the band to work loose. She stilled when he placed a solid hand on her shoulder and leaned in close to her ear.

"Because," he whispered, his voice covered by the hiss of the forge. "You helped bring down a king's rule once before. What's to say you won't do it again?"

Mako gaped at his retreating back, but the man didn't glance her way as he bustled about the place.

 _Overthrow Almanzor and Kamilla?_ Her mind whirled. _Are they insane? How would I accomplish that when I can't even protect my own son?_

"I've work to do," the blacksmith called over his shoulder. "Best get going 'fore your guard comes to find you. He's not known for his patience."

Mako threw him one last look of confused incredulity before turning and stepping out into the cold morning air, her breath trailing behind her in opalescent puffs where the sunlight refracted off it. Her mind was in too much of a daze to notice the beauty or feel the warmth this time as she made her way back to the door in the castle wall, and the sun slipped behind the clouds once more.


	4. Similarities

**Author's Notes:** This chapter was a pain. I couldn't get it to push any further so it is what it is. Sorry it's not much, but I can tell you that the next is much longer and full of forward movement. And _bonus!_ \- It's nearly complete already. As always, Constructive Criticism is always welcomed. Enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Three: Similarities_

As Mako leaned forward to peek into the pot she was supposed to be stirring she felt the comforting weight press more fully across her back as the little body held there slept on. She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face, cheeks flushed with warmth from the fire beneath the pot and shifted the sling fastened over her shoulder carefully, not wanting to disturb her child's slumber.

"He's so quiet."

Mako gave the young woman next to her a small smile. "Thank the heavens for small miracles." She stirred the contents of the pot, the wonderful scent of spices wafting up to engulf her senses. "I don't know what I'd have done if he was as fussy as –" She bit down on her lip, the familiar pangs of loss thrumming through her.

A gentle hand rested briefly on her forearm before Ahim turned back to the vegetables before her, cutting them with precise, even movements.

Mako watched the woman's skill with the tiniest bite of jealousy, trying to distract her mind. "I envy your abilities." She sighed, looking at the wooden spoon in her hand. "I may be stuck on stirring duty for life."

Ahim's quiet giggle tugged at Mako's lips and the tightness in her shoulders from unhappy memories eased.

"I once thought the same," the younger woman admitted. "You should have seen my first fledgling attempts at cooking. I think they feared I would burn our home down around our ears."

Mako looked at the other girl in surprise. "You didn't learn here?" She regretted asking her question as Ahim's smile dimmed.

"No, my family taught me." Her voice was soft but laced with an aching nostalgia Mako all too readily recognized.

"I'm sorry for prying."

Ahim shook her head. "While I wish the remembrance was less painful, I prefer to speak of them – to keep them present."

Mako gave the girl a side-long glance before returning to her stirring. She pitched her voice low so as not be heard above the soothing noises and chatter of the kitchen. "Your family, are they –?"

"They are very much alive," Ahim answered back just as quietly, biting her lip briefly as a thought raced across her mind and she sighed. "For now."

Mako felt a stab of understanding. "They hold your family's life over your head." It wasn't a question but Ahim answered anyways.

"Yes." She brushed aside the carrots she had finished with and grabbed something green and leafy that Mako didn't have a name for. "Our situations are more alike than you can imagine, Ms. Mako." A brief smile tugged at her lips. "And just as different." She sensed the unspoken question and continued.

"The king and queen desire the cooperation of our families on our behalf for very different reasons. They seek cooperation, yes, but with yours they wish to make an alliance."

"And with yours?"

Ahim was quiet for a moment, the sound of her knife crunching through the vegetable the only sound as she seemed to choose her words carefully. "My family is, perhaps, more trouble than they are worth to the king." She slid the leafy green thing into a bowl with the carrots. "It would please him greatly to rid the world of their existence."

Mako started, her hand stilling as she looked over at the younger woman with a raised eyebrow. "And yet you believe they will come for you, regardless of this threat?"

"We're family," Ahim caught Mako's gaze, her expression open and innocent. "Would you not do the same?"

Mako blinked at her, surprised by the simple question, knowing her answer without thought. "I would," she whispered firmly, adjusting the sleeping child strapped across her back before turning back to the bubbling contents before her. She missed the quiet, satisfied smile on her companion's face before she too turned back to the task at hand.

* * *

Mako slumped against the table, exhausted.

She was still a little clumsy and awkward in her duties, causing a few accidents in her wake as she tried to follow orders in the kitchen. Ahim and her friend, Doc, had tried their best to cover for her or pick up the slack but after leaving the creamy sauce to burn hard and black in its pan when she should have been keeping an eye on it had earned her an evening of dish duty.

It wasn't that Mako was incapable, but she'd rarely worked in the kitchens before. In her birth country it would have been absurd to even consider the idea – the kitchen was a worker's place, not a royal's. And while she and Kotoha had ventured down to peek into the once-forbidden area in their new adopted home, their presence had only been met with good-natured amusement and exasperation at their less-than-spectacular skills.

Genta had promised to show them the basics, but everyone had become more than a little distracted at the arrival of her first child. Life had seemed to rush forward after that.

Mako frowned at the thought. It had rushed too fast – she hadn't spent enough time simply enjoying the moments until it was too late. A small stirring of movement from tiny limbs followed by a quiet sigh of breath from the sling against her back prompted a gentle smile on her face.

Then again, perhaps when chasing after the running little legs of a child eager to explore the world it was almost impossible to sit by and watch. She rested her head in the palm of her hand, soaking in the warmth and quiet as embers dimmed the kitchen into flickering shadows and let her eyes slide closed for a moment.

If she were being honest with herself it was also a little overwhelming to be surrounded by so much noise and movement after her near-solitary confinement of so many months.

Mako started at the touch as an unfamiliar hand shook her awake.

She bolted upright in her seat, searching the semi-darkness wildly for the owner of the hand.

Her eyesight finally landed on a tall, dark figure in the shadowed room. She could barely make out dark eyes set in a stern face framed by long dark hair tied neatly into a tail that fell over one shoulder.

"Who are you?" Mako asked the imposing figure, more startled that she'd fallen asleep and been awoken by the stranger than the stoic expression.

"It's late," a tempered masculine voice answered before moving toward the door. His steps made almost no sound against the stone flooring and she was sharply reminded of the way her husband could steal through the shadows. It was a warrior's grace, she realized, one that allowed them to sneak upon their enemies without a sound.

She wondered if she should be more worried.

Instead, when he turned at the door to see if she was following, she clambered to her feet, her limbs numb from the awkward position she had dozed in.

He waited silently as she worked to get feeling into some of her extremities, showing no signs of impatience as she first checked on her child still dreaming away against her back before hobbling her way after him through the shadows in a less-than-graceful manner.

She glanced at her silent companion as he led her along a familiar route in the darkness, sure of his footsteps and as noiseless in the hall as he had been in the kitchen.

"Are you escorting me to my room?" She finally ventured to ask, her strides becoming more even and sure as circulation made its way through her limbs, shaking off the vestiges of sleep.

"She'll be worried," is all he answered. His voice was little more than a murmur and Mako wondered if the comment had been more to himself than her.

She glanced at her escort with wary eyes, but his steps never faltered as they made their way towards her new room. She kept her questions to herself as they buzzed in her mind, shoulders tensed as she kept an eye on his movements, but he followed along the hallways and stairs with a comfortable assurance.

He paused only when they reached a familiar door, reaching out to knock softly upon its wooden surface.

Her breathing a little faster than normal from the quick pace her companion had set along their route, Mako halted a few feet away, one arm tucking itself protectively around the oblivious child dreaming in his warm sling.

She waited with bated breath as the door opened a crack, and a petite figure peeked through the gap she'd made, the steady glow of a candle lighting her from behind.

Mako heard a soft gasp of surprise mingled with delight before the figure threw the door open wide. The light shifted over the pair of them in the hallway and Ahim, her familiar faded pink ribbon gone from her hair for the night as dark curls bounced around her face stepped back to let them in.

As soon as Mako and her quiet companion were inside, Ahim quickly scanned the darkened hallway before shutting the door as quietly as she'd opened it and looked back to the small group inside the room.

She turned to Mako's escort, unable to stop herself from stepping closer as he stood awkwardly inside her room.

"What are you doing here?" Despite the concern in her eyes, there was no suppressing the smile on her face.

"Just checking in," he murmured, shifting uncomfortably on his feet under her gaze.

Mako watched as the young woman all but glowed. She was struck by the similarities between her sister and brother-in-law at the beginning stages of their romance. How Kotoha's joy and anticipation at Chiaki's arrival would leave a smile on her face brighter than the sun's beams.

A small smile of her own touched upon Mako's lips in understanding and she looked away, tucking her son into his basket for the night, in an attempt to give the two some privacy.

"Is everything alright?" Ahim laid a gentle hand upon his arm and the man flushed, his gaze darting to Mako, but seeing the young mother occupied he relaxed. He met Ahim's worried eyes with a calm assurance.

"They're fine," he murmured quietly. "They're more worried about you."

"I have a new roommate," Ahim answered, smiling in Mako's direction.

"We've noticed." His expression was wry. He glanced over the small, sparse quarters with a frown. He dropped his voice so only she could hear. "You didn't have much space to begin with. Are you sure –"

" _Joe_ ," she admonished with a small smile. "I'm _fine_." Her smile widened as he raised an eyebrow in silent disbelief. "It's nice not to be alone anymore," she answered his unspoken question in a low voice. "I was so used to the sounds of everyone –" She bit her bottom lip in remembrance. A gentle hand on her cheek had her looking up into his concerned eyes.

"They'll come," he promised. "And when they do…"

Her smile was grim. "We'll all be free." She leaned into the warmth of his hand, taking strength from it with a deep inhale of breath, eyes sliding shut as she memorized the feel.

"I should go."

The whisper of his fingertips across her cheek had her eyelids fluttering open as he took a step back towards the door. She drew her hands behind her back, clenching them in the fabric of her dress to keep from reaching out for the warmth he was taking with him.

She nodded, a smile fixed firmly in place. "Thank you for bringing Ms. Mako. Please be careful on your return."

Joe's lips thinned at her cheerful façade but didn't comment other than to give a curt nod before sliding out the door as silently as he'd entered.

Ahim stood in the same position for several long minutes, even after he'd left, straining to hear silent footsteps fading away over the stone flooring.

"How long have the two of you been together?"

Mako's sudden question in the quiet made Ahim start and she flushed.

"Together?" She shook her head in protest, hands up in front of her as if in defense. "No, no, Joe and I are not together in that way."

Mako's brows raised in surprise. "Really?"

Ahim's blush deepened at the skepticism in the other woman's tone. "Truly," she assured her. "We have just known each other for a long time." She looked down at her hands, fingers intertwined in front of her stomach in a nervous gesture. "Why do you ask?"

Mako settled on her narrow bed and gave her roommate a long, considering stare. "You remind me of my little sister, Kotoha, when she first met her husband." Her voice was soft.

Ahim looked up in surprise, sinking down onto her own bed as she listened.

Realizing she had an unintended audience Mako continued. "It's the way you look at each other," she explained. "The breathless anticipation in meeting, the lingering glances in parting." She picked at a loose thread on her blanket. "Young love is as exciting and wonderful as it is daunting and terrifying."

She picked up the basket with her slumbering son and shifted it so that it rested alongside her bed. "You wonder and hope that it will somehow work out, but when you live in a world like ours, you sometimes hesitate to move forward lest something shatter everything you have built together."

"Did something happen to them?"

"Chiaki – her husband – had been hiding certain details about himself from my sister," Mako answered carefully. "It almost tore them apart – in more ways than one."

Ahim's eyes widened. "But they were eventually married, right? Things worked out between them in the end?"

Mako's expression softened. "Yes, they found each other again."

"How are they now?" Ahim ventured with a faint flush. "Are they happy?"

"Very," Mako assured her with a smile. "They still have their arguments – their moments of exasperation, but they are happy, yes. They have a little girl, and had just found out they were expecting another child when –" She bit off her sentence with a frown, pain lancing through her heart.

"You will see your family again, Ms. Mako." Ahim's quiet but firm assurance did little to stop the tears that swam in Mako's eyes.

"Not all of them." She turned to lift her blanket and slip underneath it, her body curling into a tight ball as it shied away from the cold as much as her memories.

Ahim continued to stare at the back of the young woman's head for a long time before she roused herself to blow out the candlelight and slip under her own covers with a disquieting frown, frustrated at feeling there was nothing she could say.


	5. In the Dark of the Night

**Author's Note:** This chapter was a lot of fun to write. I'm so excited for things to start happening now! Enjoy! Constructive Criticism is always welcomed.

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Four: In the Dark of the Night_

Mako inhaled deeply as the smells and sounds of the marketplace surrounded her.

Vegetables and meat roasted over burning embers, mixing with the tang of spices and baked bread. Shopkeepers called out their wares as people mingled, laughed and gossiped. Children darted between the stalls and people's legs as they chased each other with shrieks of laughter. A couple of stray dogs added to the chaos as they ran alongside the children, barking excitedly at the madness.

Mako looked down at an insistent tugging on her hand, breaking her attention away from the crowds.

"Momma, can we go over there?"

Mako smiled in the direction little fingers were pointing. Someone had spotted a sweets seller's table. "And what will we do if we spoil your appetite?" She ran a hand fondly through her daughter's dark hair.

Pleading eyes gazed up at hers.

"Please, Momma? Just one piece!"

Mako sighed, a smile tugging at her lips. "Alright, Ayako," she agreed at last to the delight of the little girl. "But we have to get some for your father and brother as well." She glanced around the crowded marketplace as she let her daughter tug her forward.

"Where did they get to?" She muttered with a concerned crease of her brows, her hand skimming over her swollen belly.

"Daddy took Takeshi over to the man with the wooden boats." The little girl informed her without turning around, her eyes on the prize.

"I hope they'll be able to find us." Mako's hand soothed over her belly as the child inside her shifted.

"Don't worry, Momma," Ayako assured her with all of her six-year old confidence. "Daddy will find us. Even when Takeshi and I play hide-and-seek, Daddy knows where we are. He _always_ finds us."

Mako laughed, finally allowing Ayako to drag her closer to the sweets. "Your father does have an uncanny ability to show up right where he's needed," she remarked, smiling at the memory of when Takeru had first entered her life years before. She looked at her daughter with fondness as the little girl's eyes widened at the selection of delectable goodies before her.

"Well now, what do we have here?"

Mako smiled at the man behind the wooden stall. "Good afternoon," she greeted. "My daughter and I have been tempted away by your sweets."

The older gentleman, his head a shock of graying hair laughed outright. "May they be as appealing on your tongue as they were to your eyes." He smiled indulgently at the little girl who stood in rapture at the selection before her. "What'll it be, little one?"

Ayako turned to her mother. "Momma, can we get some for Chizu, too?"

Mako studied the sweets with a mother's practiced eye. "Possibly, but she's only three," she reminded her. "It'll have to be something she won't choke on easily."

"I think I can help with that," the old man smiled kindly as he directed Ayako to a selection of easy to chew goods. "Getting something for your sister, is it?"

Ayako giggled. "No! Chizu is my cousin. She couldn't come today. Uncle Chiaki says she's got a cold." She eyed the sweets. "I have a little brother. His name is Takeshi." She pointed at a few of the goods and tugged on her mother's sleeve. "Can we get those for Chizu and Takeshi?"

Mako nodded. "Those'll be fine."

"What a good sister you are," the man smiled as he began placing a few of the selections off to the side. "Looks like you'll be well-practiced by the time your next brother or sister comes along." He nodded toward Mako.

"Momma's gonna have another baby," Ayako informed him promptly.

The man chuckled. "Yes, I can see that." He scooped up a few more sweets under Ayako's direction. He studied Mako with a careful eye. "Would you like to sit down for a moment?"

Mako smiled at his kindness. "Thank you, but I am fine. I wish to stand as long as I am able to." Her hands skimmed lightly over her belly, her baby moving at the touch. "It won't be long before I'm told to keep off my feet."

The man chuckled. "Enjoying your last few days of freedom while you can, eh? My wife always did the same before the birth of a child." He began wrapping up the sweets in a square of clean linen. "Now she enjoys spoiling the grandchildren rotten." He looked up at Mako with a bittersweet glimmer in his eyes. "Enjoy every day with them," he nodded toward her daughter and swollen belly. "They're grown and gone in the blink of an eye."

He handed the package over to Ayako's excited grasp as Mako pulled out some coins from the little bag she held inside her deep sleeves.

She slid the coins into his hands with a grateful smile. "Thank you." She squeezed his hands around the metal bits, waving away his protests when he caught sight of the amount.

"It's no use arguing with her," an amused voice sounded from Mako's side as a warm hand slid around her back to rest at her hip. "Trust me."

Mako settled into her husband's embrace with a quiet sigh. Despite her claim to stand on her feet until she was forced off them, leaning against her husband's solid support was doing wonders for her back.

A little hand grasped her fingers. She looked down to see her son hiding his face shyly against her leg as he stared up at the older gentleman in front of them.

"This is your family then?" The sweets seller smiled at the group before them and Mako nodded. "They're beautiful."

"Thank you," her smile was soft as she ran a hand through her son's dark hair as he turned to peer curiously at the bag in his sister's hand. "I think so, too."

"Are we ready to go?" Takeru asked as Ayako excitedly showed her brother what they had purchased.

Mako nodded and allowed him to steer her away as they gave their thanks once more to the older gentleman.

"Gave your guards the slip again, I noticed," Takeru commented quietly to her as they made their way through the crowd, trailing just behind their children.

"As did you," Mako nodded with approval.

Takeru smiled, his grip tightening on her side briefly in affection. "Ryunosuke will pitch a fit when he finds out."

Mako sighed. "He worries too much."

Takeru eyed the tired lines around her mouth. "You should rest for a minute." When she opened her mouth to protest, he cut her off with a chaste kiss against her temple. "Indulge me," he murmured in her ear. "Just a brief moment."

Mako sighed with exaggeration but conceded. "Alright," she agreed. "But only for a minute." In truth, her feet _were_ beginning to ache. It'd be nice to rest them for a while, but after insisting that a little time wandering the market was _good_ for her that morning, she was loathe to admit she needed a break.

She glared playfully at the smile tugging at her husband's lips. "What?"

"Nothing," he insisted as he directed her to a wooden bench in a quiet corner.

"Momma, can we go over there?" Ayako asked as Takeru helped his wife sit.

The couple looked over to see their eldest, sweets in hand, pointing toward a group of children playing a game by a copse of trees on the edge of the market. Mako glanced at her husband, communicating without words.

"Stay with your brother and stay in sight," Takeru warned as he sat down beside Mako. "We want to be able to see you at all times."

"Okay!" Ayako's delighted grin lit up her face as she grasped her brother's hand in her free one and the two scampered off to join in the fun.

"And you said I'd be the one to give Ryunosuke the fits," Mako muttered as she watched her children with a careful eye, Takeshi ducking shyly behind his sister as the gathered children invited them into their play after a moment.

"I used to do the same to my caretaker," Takeru admitted. "How do you think Genta and I met?"

"Speaking of Genta, where is he?" Mako glanced around the bustling market. "I thought for sure _he'd_ at least be following you like a shadow."

"Following in the wake of a playful wink and impish smile." He chuckled quietly at Mako's raised brows. "When we took Takeshi over to see the carved boats, Genta caught sight of the baker's daughter next door. We left him in more or less of a daze."

"Ahhh," Mako murmured in amusement. "Has the arrow pricked him at last?"

"Considering I'm not sure he heard me when I told him we were leaving to find you and Ayako, it's quite possible." His arm slid around her shoulder, and Mako leaned gratefully against him.

"Speaking of courtship," she glanced up at her husband. "Do you think Kaoru's new suitor will meet her expectations?"

Takeru's eyes glanced off into the distance as he considered her question. He was quiet for a long moment before he answered. "I hope so. He's a good match for her."

Mako laid her head against her husband's shoulder. "I hope so too."

A high-pitched shriek sounded close at hand and the couple jumped, startled by the sound. Takeru was on his feet in an instant, alert and searching.

"Stay here," he told her. "I'll go take a look." He paused at the tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Mako's worried expression and smiled gently. "I'll be right back." He gave her a quick, soft kiss that left her flushed before heading in the direction of the sound.

Mako pushed herself to her feet, wavering for balance, and looking down with a start when a pair of hands grasped her arm firmly. She smiled down at her daughter. "Thank you, sweetheart."

"Where's Daddy?" Ayako's eyes frantically searched the agitated crowd as Mako took her son's hand firmly in hers.

"He went to see what's happened," she answered, her own head struggling to see over the crowd. "We're to wait here until he returns." She glanced at the area where her children had been playing only moments before.

"Where did all of the other children go?"

"They ran off after that lady screamed." Ayako looked at her mother, her eyes anxious. "Momma, I want to go home."

"As soon as your father returns," Mako assured her as Takeshi squeezed his mother's hand, his other clutching the small package of sweets from earlier, his grip on it tight.

Mako exhaled with relief when she spotted her husband's head weaving through the crowd toward her at a steady pace, Genta at his side. She tensed when she caught sight of their grim faces as they drew closer.

"What is it? What's happened?"

"We need to return," he murmured in her ear before picking up Ayako.

Genta nodded his greeting, his usual cheerful grin set into an anxious line as he scooped up Takeshi. The young boy's arms circled his neck as Genta set an immediate course out of the market and towards the direction of the castle gates.

Takeru shifted Ayako to his hip and grasped Mako's hand firmly in his as he followed behind his closest friend.

The small group tried to push their way through the growing, agitated crowd as panic and gossip began to swell. A sudden surge in the press of bodies around them left Mako stumbling. Takeru halted and grasped her around the waist until she found her balance again.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Mako assured him, holding tight to his arm as her eyes darted around the crowd. "What's going on?"

"Where's Takeshi and Uncle Genta?"

Mako and Takeru started at Ayako's question, looking around in vain at the throng of people around them, everyone pushing to get somewhere in a hurry.

"They'll be fine," Takeru assured them both despite the concern creasing his brows. "Genta knows these streets like the back of his hand." He braced his wife as someone elbowed past. "We need to get out of this crowd before either of you get hurt."

Mako nodded with a grimace, stumbling behind Takeru as he led the way toward a quiet alley.

Pushing free of the crowd, the little family crowded into the narrow passageway between buildings, breathing fresh air as they surveyed the crowd. Takeru set Ayako on her feet and guided them a little further into the recesses.

"Takeru, what is going on?" Mako pressed.

"There was a murder in the market square," he murmured back, eyes darting frequently to the alley's entrance.

Mako's eyes widened. "In broad daylight?"

Takeru nodded.

"Whoever did it is either very bold or incredibly stupid."

"I'd prefer the former, if you don't mind, your ladyship," a voice drawled from the shadows.

Mako and Takeru spun around as a group of men seemed to melt out of the shadows. They spoke in a foreign, harsh tongue to each other, large grins on their faces as they held their weapons with ease.

The apparent leader spoke once again in the common tongue. "Needed a lil distraction, see? Makes things easier for us." The man fingered his blade lovingly as he approached. "Now, why we'd like things to go smooth," he grinned up at the family as Takeru drew his own weapon. "We don't really mind a lil fun, neither." The man nodded his head toward his fellows and the group advanced.

"Stay behind me," Takeru urged his family as he planted himself solidly in front of them. Mako grasped Ayako's hand in a white-knuckled grip and tucked her behind her.

Ayako grasped her mother's sleeve, pressing herself to her mother's side. "Momma," her voice came out shaky as her panic grew.

"Don't leave my side," Mako warned her, eyes darting between the advancing men and her husband as they backed them into a shadowed corner.

The men stared each other down, weapons poised for one breath of a moment before they charged. With a sudden clang of metal on metal the group met blades with Takeru.

Gasping, Ayako clung to her mother, her eyes wide. " _Daddy_!" She shrieked when a blade found purchase on his arm. Mako's grip on her daughter's hand tightened, her other pressed across her belly, cursing herself for giving their guards the slip earlier.

She had no weapon – hadn't thought to bring one after so many years in her husband's peaceful country, and at this stage in pregnancy, she'd be more hindrance than help if she tried to get involved. She'd have screamed to get attention from the crowd, but in the frenzy it was in already, she doubted anyone would do more than glance their way. And what would they see if they did? Only a dark alley with shadows too thick to pierce with any clarity.

A rustle of clothing had Mako turning too slow before a sharp blade kissed her skin below her jaw. She froze even as Ayako let out another shriek.

The tenor of his daughter's scream had Takeru spinning around in desperation. He stumbled in his steps as the man's blade pressed further into Mako's neck when Takeru moved toward her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the leader warned with glee where he had been leaning against the wall, watching the show. "Unless you want your brat to witness her mother's very messing ending."

Takeru's grip on his blade was white with strain as he glared at the man, his mouth pressed into a thin line. If looks could kill, Mako had no doubt the men surrounding them would have been sent to the underworld several times over.

"Drop your weapon," the leader continued, picking at the dirt under his nails with his blade. When Takeru didn't immediately comply the leader gave the barest of nods to the man holding Mako.

She gasped, stepping closer to the man behind her in an effort to release the pressure of the blade biting into her skin. She felt the warm trickle of blood begin to roll down her neck.

" _Mommy_!" Ayako shrieked and Takeru's weapon clattered to the ground.

The bandit leader pushed off the wall and advanced toward them with a casual stroll as his men encircled Takeru, pulling his arms behind his back and forcing him to his knees.

The blade at Mako's neck eased, pulling back so that it was still within her vision but no longer resting against her skin. She focused on her breathing as the child she was carrying stirred inside her belly. She rubbed a hand against her stomach in a subconscious gesture as she watched her husband with growing dread.

"What do you want?"

The leader paused, glancing at Mako with a curious tilt to his head. "Want?" He spread his arms wide. "It's not what we _want_ , your ladyship. It's what we need."

Mako worked to keep her voice steady as she stared the man down. "And what is it that you _need_?"

"I need for you to come with us – quiet like, if you'd please."

Mako blinked in confusion. "Go with you?"

The man flourished his arm toward the darkness of the alley. "We've been sent to collect you, Mako Shiba, to pay for your crimes against the kingdom of Aduro."

Mako looked at the man in bewilderment. "Aduro is gone. Pluvia reclaimed its stolen homeland _years_ ago."

"Precisely," the man nodded in agreement. "With _your_ help." His sudden grin had Mako's blood run cold. "See, some folk aren't too happy about the arrangement, what with the First Princess herself helping to commit regicide and all. Murdering a king's a hefty crime, you know."

"Leave her out of this," Takeru struggled against the arms holding him back. "She never touched the false king."

The leader nodded to one of his men who punched Takeru swiftly in the gut, causing him to curl over as he gasped for air.

"Takeru!"

"Daddy!" Ayako broke from Mako's grasp with a surge of anger. "Leave my family alone!"

"Ayako! _No!_ " Mako tried to stumble forward, but was held in the tight grasp of her captor, her heart in her throat.

Ayako swung out at the bandit leader who grasped her arm with ease and a throaty laugh.

"Looks like the kitten's got claws!" He held her wrist tightly as Ayako tried to pry his fingers off.

" _Please_ ," Mako begged. "She's just a child."

"Truth be told, I have no interest in harming kids, but I'm not above using 'em," the man admitted before he rested the blade lightly against Ayako's shoulder. The little girl froze, her face pale as she eyed the weapon with trepidation.

"Mommy?"

The fear in her child's voice nearly made her sick. "Leave her alone!"

The leader met Mako's gaze. "I'll leave the child alone if you come with us without a fuss."

"Mako," Takeru wheezed as he found air, alarm etched across his face, reading the directions of her thoughts.

Mako looked from her prone husband to the sword lying so casually across her daughter's shoulders.

"I'll do what you ask, just leave my family alone."

" _Mako – don't!_ "

"There's a girl," the man grinned. "No reason to be unreasonable." He jerked his head toward the opposite end of the alley. "Start walking."

"My daughter –"

"Soon as I know you ain't gonna bolt, I'll let her go."

Mako pursed her lips, something about the man's tone setting off alarms in her head. She paused. The man behind her raised his blade in silent warning. She ignored the weapon and eyed the leader. "What about my husband?"

"Well," the man scratched at the back of his head. "See, there's the sticking point. I've got different orders in regards to him."

Mako felt something flutter through her stomach as dread seeped into her veins. She almost didn't dare ask. "What orders?"

She wondered, for the briefest moment, if she detected a hint of sympathy in those cold, dark eyes.

"I was only ordered to bring in _you_ , your ladyship." He nodded toward the man at her side and a strong hand gripped her arm before beginning to drag her away.

" _No!_ " Mako fought against the man's grip, struggling to get back to her family. " _Takeru!_ "

Takeru surged to his feet, surprising the men trying to hold him down. Startled, the bandit leader shoved Ayako away as Takeru grabbed one of his opponents' swords and advanced toward him.

Ayako tripped, scraping her knees against the dirt, gritting her teeth against the bite of small pebbles. Her head snapping up in fear at her mother's horrified cry, she turned just as something warm splashed across her face.

A strange, metallic smell filled her nose and she touched the warm, sticky stuff, eyes widening as her fingers came away with a rust-colored paint. She looked up in time to watch her father fall, a deep crimson stain carved across his chest, the bandit leader's blade coated in the same scarlet paint.

"Daddy?" Ayako's voice was tremulous as she watched Takeru fall face first to the ground.

A soft thud sounded behind her and Ayako turned to see her mother's captor trying to get Mako to stand after her legs had given way beneath her. She paid the man no heed as she stared at the fallen body of her husband in numb disbelief, his name whispered off her lips in question.

Ayako watched as her mother suddenly cringed, her arms encircling her stomach. "Momma?" She scrambled to her mother's side as Mako doubled over in pain.

"Get her to her feet," the bandit leader snapped as he wiped off his blade.

"What if she's having the child?" His subordinate asked.

"Then she has the child in the back of the cart," the man shrugged. "So long as we get the job done, it's no concern of ours. She won't last long where she's going anyway." He glanced down at the slain man at his feet, a crimson puddle beginning to spread from underneath his body. He sighed heavily as he eyed Mako and the child at her side. "If she has the brat on the side of the road, maybe that's best. We can leave it at an inn. Give it a chance in this world." He thrust his sword back into its scabbard.

"Pick her up and carry her if you have to, we have to move before someone comes looking for 'em." He glanced down at the little girl at her mother's side. "I gave your mother my word." He pointed toward the market. "Get going."

Ayako clutched her mother's sleeve, shaking her head frantically. "No."

The man sighed in exasperation and marched forward. Grasping her wrist tightly he yanked the little girl away, shoving her toward the market. "Scram!"

Ayako fisted her hands at her side, angry tears beginning to roll down her cheeks as she refused to budge. She glanced at her father's body then at her mother as she was hoisted into the arms of her captor. Ayako glared at the bandit leader. "I _hate_ you," she whispered, her voice harsh.

The man waved his men onward then advanced toward the little girl. He towered over her, one hand on his hip, the other resting on his sword's hilt with a practiced ease.

"The way I see it, you have two choices," he told her quietly. "Your father is dying. Your mother won't be far behind. You can either head toward the castle and what remains of your family, or you can join your parents."

Ayako glowered at the man with all the hatred a six year old could muster, her jaw set stubbornly. Hot, angry tears mixed with the stains of her father's blood, dying her clothes new shades.

He studied her for a long hard moment. "Death it is then."

* * *

Mako awoke with a scream.

Ahim bolted up in bed, her eyes immediately searching for an assailant in the dark room as a baby's startled cries started up.

Heart hammering in her chest, Ahim fumbled at the candle's wick before she finally managed to light it. Stumbling out of bed, she raced across the floor, the cold biting into the soles of her feet as she rushed to Mako's side.

With a firm but gentle grasp she shook her roommate's shoulders. "Ms. Mako, wake up! It is only a nightmare." Mako fought her grasp for a tense few minutes, fingers scrabbling against Ahim's grip and the band around her own neck.

" _Please_ , you are scaring your son," Ahim pleaded, wondering what she would do if she couldn't wake the child's mother.

Mako surfaced slowly, the hysteria and screaming in her head reaching a crescendo as she fought against her attackers, trying desperately to get back to her husband's fallen body and the stubborn, defiant stance of her child.

A gentle tone tinged with desperation filtered into her nightmare and Mako slowly woke, blinking in the flickering candlelight with a gasp as she looked around her in confusion.

"You are alright, Ms. Mako," the voice soothed. "It was just a dream."

Mako shuddered in a desperate gasp of air. "It wasn't a dream."

"It was," the voice insisted as arms wrapped around her thin shoulders, rocking her as gently as a mother would a child.

Tears swam in Mako's eyes as she fell against Ahim's slight shoulders. She shook her head. "No," she moaned. "You don't understand. It _wasn't_ a dream – it was a _nightmare_. A nightmare that was all too real."

Understanding jolted through Ahim. "A memory," she whispered. When Mako nodded, Ahim held her tighter, empathy rolling through her. "I'm so sorry."

She released her hold when Mako struggled against her, her child's cries finally breaking through the hazy gap between sleep and waking.

Mako leaned over her bed, scooping her son out of his basket and, holding him close, rocked him in imitation of Ahim just moments before. It was a long few minutes before Mako managed to soothe his cries. Ahim never budged from her side.

Once the infant had been calmed, Ahim rubbed soothing circles into her back.

"Would it help to talk about it?" She asked quietly.

Mako shook her head wearily, exhaustion weighing heavily upon her shoulders. "No," she whispered. "I doubt there is very little in this world that will help live with the memories of your family's murder."

Ahim sucked in a quiet breath of surprise.

Mako recalled the blacksmith's words. "Though I suppose I won't have to live with only memories much longer if Kamilla has her way." She glanced at the child in her arms. "If only I'd had him on the road."

Ahim blinked, startled by Mako's wearied confession. "Why would you wish that? They would have forced you to leave your child behind! You would never have seen him again."

"Exactly," Mako clutched her child to her chest, unshed tears in her eyes. "It would've torn what was left of my heart out, but at least then he would have been safe."

Ahim glanced down at the child as he watched the pair of them with dark, anxious eyes. "We will not let anything happen to him, Ms. Mako. I swear it." She started at the sudden burst of laughter that came from the other woman. It was eerie in its lack of mirth as the candlelight flickered, shadows wavering across the walls.

"The last person who told me he wouldn't harm my child killed my husband in cold blood."

Ahim studied Mako for a long time with furrowed brows before she surged to her feet. She grasped Mako's arm and tugged the bewildered woman to her feet beside her. "I would like you to dress yourself warmly and bundle your son tightly." She moved across the room and started rifling through her own spare bits of clothing, tugging on layers. She glanced over to see Mako staring at her in confusion. "Please."

Mako did as she was asked, throwing the sling around her shoulders to nestle her son inside the layers as she began pulling on what meager clothing she had been given. When at last they were as bundled as their spare clothes would allow, Ahim blew out their candle and moved to the door to lean her ear against it.

She was still for a long minute, listening intently before motioning for Mako to follow with a finger against her lips for silence as she eased the door open.

The pair stole out into the hallway, shadows dark and haunting in the echoing silence. Mako shivered as much from the chill in the air as the one that raced down her back at the unnatural quiet. Back home, even in the dead of winter, the hallways had always felt warm and inviting. There had always been a few people wandering the halls, voices hushed and footsteps quiet as they moved. Here, even in sleep the monarchs were a threat.

Ahim eased their door shut before grasping Mako's hand firmly and tugging her along behind her through the shadows with a familiarity and effortlessness that had Mako watching the woman's back with more than a little curiosity.

Together the two women made their way through the frigid castle, avoiding the sparse candlelight set along the walls. Their clothing whispered as they moved, the only sound aside from the occasional tap of their shoes when they stepped a little too hard.

If Mako was being entirely honest with herself, it was only she who seemed to be making any noise. Ahim appeared to move through the night like a shadow herself. She doubted Ahim's movements would startle even the mice.

Her son too kept an almost unnatural silence as if he could sense the need to remain undetected as they moved, and for that Mako could not have been more grateful. She didn't know what they would do if they were caught, or if they were even allowed outside their room at night for that matter.

Mako tried to pay attention to where they were going, but in the dark it was difficult to maintain any landmarks. And with no moon in the sky that evening, not even the moonlight that would have shone through the high windows made a mark on the floor. All Mako could tell was that they were heading upward. They climbed one set of stairs after another until finally Ahim reached a door.

Ever so slowly the young woman opened the door just wide enough to allow them to slide through it sideways. She beckoned for Mako to follow, shutting the door firmly once she'd slipped inside.

With the door shut, Mako found herself in an impenetrable darkness.

"Watch your step," Ahim breathed next to her. "And follow me." She kept a firm grip on Mako's hand.

After hitting her shin against the first step she followed Ahim up a seemingly endless curving staircase. It felt to Mako that they had stepped out of time as they wound round and around, higher and higher until she began to wonder if this wasn't some dream lingering still.

Lost in a daze she bumped into Ahim's back when the younger girl came to a sudden stop.

"Sorry," Mako murmured but Ahim simply felt along the door before her, fingers tracing familiar patterns until she found the latch. With a small satisfied _click_ the door opened allowing a wall of chilled air to rush over them. Mako shivered violently, amazed that it could feel any colder as she followed Ahim into the frigid open air.

And then she looked up.

The heavens shone above her – stars like frozen ice suspended in an endless array of brilliance against the velvet ebony sky.

Everywhere they twinkled above her in patterns as familiar to her as the back of her hand, and she gasped in quiet amazement as nostalgia washed over her.

While she'd had little love for the land of her birth, it had surprised Mako how she'd missed certain aspects of it once she had arrived in Takeru's homeland. She supposed now that it had been the overwhelming plethora of new experiences as she'd had to stumble through a new language, new people, new culture and land.

While she loved Takeru, and never once regretted her decision to follow him to his home, it had been a strange comfort to discover that the night sky was the same.

She'd once spent many a night staring up at the evening sky feeling that while much had changed, there would always be one constant in the world.

And here she was, startled once again to realize that despite everything that had happened – through all the immense changes and tragedies in her life – there was still one constant. There was one sight as familiar to her as the laugh of her children or the gentle press of her husband's lips had once been.

She looked down in awe from the majesty and wonder of the dancing lights in the heavens to see that Ahim had moved to the parapet, her gaze as transfixed upon the sky as Mako's had been.

Taking in a strong breath of the crisp, cold air Mako joined Ahim at her side.

"My sister likes to stargaze," Ahim murmured, her warm breath clouding in the air before her.

Mako looked at the younger girl but Ahim's eyes were focused only on the brilliant show above.

"She would climb to the nearest, highest point and stand there for hours, just watching the sky." A sad smile touched her lips. "I used to join her."

"Is she…?" Mako wasn't sure how to ask, but Ahim was already shaking her head.

"She is very much alive," she whispered. Her gaze flickered briefly toward the town spread out in front of the castle. "I see her sometimes, when she manages to sneak into the castle." She answered Mako's unspoken question. "But it is difficult." She turned to Mako then.

"We were inseparable for so long, my family and me." She laid a gentle hand on Mako's shoulder. "Believe me when I say that I understand how much you miss them."

Mako felt her eyes water and she looked hurriedly up at the sky to blink them away. Ahim followed her gaze.

"I feel closer to them out here, knowing they too are under the same stars." A small smile graced her face as she gazed up at the midnight sky. "Our loved ones _will_ find a way to reach us, Ms. Mako. I believe they will move heaven and earth – even a king from his throne – to accomplish it."

Mako felt a weary smile tug at her lips. "It took that much just for us to be together in the first place."

Ahim glanced at her out of the corner of her eye before turning to face Mako, her hands folded together at her stomach. "I know of your story, Ms. Mako," she confessed. "Indeed it has traveled far and circled well." Her head tilted in question, her expression open and curious. "Why is it that you do not believe he will come for you?"

Mako frowned and looked away, painful memories surging forward. "I saw him cut down before my eyes." Her arms came up to shift her son closer to her in a subconscious gesture. "I was pregnant. They had our daughter." She cringed at the images that flooded her mind. "It was so fast," she whispered, her voice soft. "There was so much blood."

"Are you certain he has passed on?"

"I saw him struck down –"

"But are you _certain_ he is gone? Did you check that there was no breath in his lungs? No beating of his heart?" Ahim's tone was gentle but firm and Mako looked at her in surprise. Ahim smiled then.

"Do not be so quick to give up hope, Ms. Mako. After what the two of you had to go through to be together, I do not believe he would fall so easily into Death's arms." She looked up at the sky, the stars shining in her eyes and Mako watched her in wonder. "Until you know with absolute certainty, have faith that he will find his way back to you."

The two young women's eyes were drawn to the sky as a star shot across the heavens.

And for the first time in a long while, Mako wondered who else she was sharing the night sky with.

* * *

A group of travel-stained, weary travelers paused at a small inn just below the mountain pass.

The hour was absurdly late, but they had been making good time and hadn't dared stop. Where they were headed, it was best to move as quickly as possible under the cover of nightfall. Too many eyes watched the road for hurried strangers and their horses.

"We'll stop here for the night," one instructed and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief.

It had been a hard day's ride for all, and both man and beast were exhausted.

"We'll see to the accommodations," another answered before slipping off their horse. One of the traveler's companions quickly followed suit.

"Make sure the sum is heavy – they won't appreciate being woken from their sleep," the first advised.

"Pay them for their silence, as well," the last murmured.

The two stayed with the horses as the other pair slipped into the inn. They waited, horses stamping in the cold until their companions emerged, the owner of the inn blinking heavily from sleep as he gazed at the group.

"Come in, come in," his breath fogged before his face, and he shivered under the coat thrown hastily over his nightgown. "I'll show you to your rooms." He covered a yawn, his jaw cracking from the effort. "And then we can all join the realm of sleep." That he didn't look cross at the late disturbance spoke of either a long familiarity with late-night strangers along the route or a well-appreciated sum of money passed into his keeping.

The last two cloaked figures slid carefully off their horses, their bodies sore and aching.

The innkeeper directed one of the travelers to the stable, while the remaining trio picked up their things and began to haul everything toward the inviting warmth seeping from inside the inn, rubbing their hands together to try and circulate their blood.

Just outside the doorway, one of the travelers turned to gaze out and over the canopy of trees, tracing a line down the mountainside and across the valley to the castle that couldn't yet be seen where it lay nestled against the far reaches of the mountain range.

A sudden star shot across the sky, drawing the figure's eyes up to the dizzying display in the heavens.

A firm but gentle hand lighted on the figure's shoulder.

"Don't worry," one of the traveler's companions murmured. "We'll get them back. Even if we have to tear it apart brick-by-brick." With a brief squeeze of reassurance the companion vanished into the shadowed warmth of the inn.

The figure stood gazing up at the dazzling sky for a long time, stars reflecting in dark eyes before turning and following inside.


	6. Lending a Hand

**Author's Notes:** At last! This chapter is finished! I wrestled with part of it for a bit, but I think it finally figured itself out. Now I am off to get some shuteye; any longer and I'll be propping my eyelids open with toothpicks. And that doesn't sound all that comfortable. Constructive Criticism is always welcomed. Enjoy~!

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Five: Lending a Hand_

Ahim matched the corners of the worn towel as best she could, pulling at the creases until she could fold it smoothly and place it in a neat pile upon its fellows.

She bumped elbows with the her companion, letting a giggle slip past her lips as the auburn haired young woman next to her cracked a small smile. The other woman's bright tresses swayed as she shook her head, nudging Ahim with her shoulder playfully.

The woman placed the folded shirt in her hands upon Ahim's bed with a sigh before stretching her arms above her head with a groan of relief. "I've forgotten how much faster laundry goes when you have someone to do it with."

Ahim blinked at her in surprise. "Joe and Gai do not help you, Luka?"

Luka gave an exaggerated sigh as she ran her hand through her hair. "They do," she admitted. "But Joe's so quiet that it feels more like a chore than ever, and Gai tends to get a little…over enthusiastic. Sometimes he's more hindrance than help."

Ahim's smile grew. "What about my brother? Does he not help?"

Luka snorted. "The day Marvelous helps with chores of his own volition is the day Joe starts singing folktales in the middle of the market square."

Ahim's laughter pulled a smile from the other woman. She slipped her arms around her shoulders in a half-hug, her head resting against Ahim's. "It's just not the same without you."

Ahim leaned against Luka, drawing in every scrap of comfort and familiarity she could. "I'm sorry." Her voice was barely above a whisper as Luka's arms came around to hug her fully.

"Don't ever apologize for what that man has done to you," Luka scolded her gently. She gave Ahim a tight squeeze before stepping back to catch her eyes. She frowned. "What's happened?"

Ahim blinked in confusion. "Happened?"

"You have dark circles under your eyes," Luka explained, her brows pinched in worry. "Are you not sleeping enough? Are you sick?" She slipped her hand up to her forehand to check for a temperature, frowning when Ahim gently pulled it away.

"I am not ill," she murmured, not surprised that Luka's sharp eyes had seen what she had been trying to hide.

"Then what is it?" Luka demanded, hands on her hips.

Ahim turned back to the small pile of folded laundry, gathering up a bundle of it in her arms. "She still cries out in her sleep," she answered softly.

Luka glanced at the small identical bed across the room. "Your roommate?"

Ahim nodded as she began putting the clean clothes into their shared, tiny dresser. "She cries out for her family, her husband, her daughter – all that she has lost. She puts on a brave face during the day, but the memories haunt her sleep."

"I can have Doc put something in her cup at night to knock her out."

"Luka!" Ahim gasped, spinning toward her in shock.

They were distracted by a quiet noise from the basket that lay upon the table in the center of the room. Ahim rushed over and scooped the baby out, cradling him to her chest. She tried to bounce him a bit, but his fussing continued. She started when Luka gently lifted him from her arms and held him like an expert. He immediately started to quiet.

"I take it _he's_ another reason for your sleeplessness," Luka muttered but her hold was tender as she rocked him.

"He's a good baby," Ahim answered, watching the other woman in awe. "He hardly ever makes a fuss." She touched a finger to his clenched fist and he wrapped his fingers around it with a firm grip. "I think he knows when his mother is upset – his cries quiet hers. They comfort each other in that way." She looked up at Luka. "You're so good at this."

"Years of practice," Luka reminded her.

Ahim smiled, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "I look forward to seeing the two of you having your own."

" _Ahim_ ," Luka's tone was a quiet warning laced with a trace of exasperation.

"But, Luka –"

"We've been over this," Luka interrupted, her tone gentling. "There won't be a marriage until _after_ we've secured your release and _definitely_ no children until this entire debacle is dealt with." She met Ahim square in the eyes. "Your brother and I are in perfect agreement on this."

Ahim huffed, puffing out her cheeks in frustration. "Of course the two of you _would_ be in agreement about that."

A sly grin slid across Luka's face. "What about you and Joe?" Her grin widened as Ahim flushed a brilliant shade of red.

"What about us?"

"Being an aunt goes both ways, you know."

Ahim flushed scarlet at Luka's implications. "Unlike you and my brother, Luka," she managed through her embarrassment. " _I_ am not betrothed – to Joe or anyone else for that matter. We are not even courting."

"I know," Luka muttered, blowing out her bangs. "And I have no idea _why_. The guy's been head-over-heels for you since day one." She glanced at Ahim. "And it's not like you've been exactly hiding your feelings for him."

Ahim flushed again, saved from having to answer when the baby started fussing once more. She peered down at the scrunched up little face. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Hungry, I think," Luka answered for him as his head began searching. "Sorry, little guy, but I can't fix that for ya." She looked at Ahim. "Where's his mother?"

Ahim glanced at the closed door. "She should be here any minute now. The chef who watches her is good about letting her take a break to feed him."

Luka nodded before sliding the infant back into her sister's arms. "Then it's time for me to go."

Ahim held the warm bundle close, tears pricking at her eyes.

Luka frowned at the look, enveloping her friend in a hug before placing a chaste kiss against her forehead. "Please be careful."

Ahim nodded, blinking back her tears. "You as well." She bit her lip to keep her emotions in check as Luka moved to open the door in time to startle the woman on the other side.

Mako blinked in surprise as an auburn-haired woman sized her up with a searching look. Seemingly satisfied at what she had found, she nodded her greeting before slipping past Mako and shutting the door firmly behind her.

Mako stared at the doorway in bewilderment, roused from her musings as her son gave a warning whimper. She hurried over to Ahim, easing the child out of her arms and moving toward her bed.

"Who was that?" She asked as she adjusted her hold to a more comfortable position.

"Luka," Ahim answered simply as she busied herself with the rest of the laundry.

Mako watched the younger woman distract herself for a moment and understanding dawned. "The sister you spoke of."

Ahim nodded curtly, keeping her hands busy.

Mako's smile was soft. "I used to give strangers the same look when I first met them – wondering exactly who it was that had entered my sister's life." She chuckled. "The last person I accepted into Kotoha's life ended up stealing her away from me."

Ahim glanced at her roommate, eyes wide in surprise.

Mako let out a quiet laugh. "He married her," she explained. She let out a happy little sigh. "Kotoha's had a number of new people enter her life since then." She glanced at the contented look on her son's face as he fed. "Chiaki's been good to her." She smiled, remembering how she'd eyed Chiaki in a manner similar to the way Luka had with her. "I suppose I passed your sister's initial test, as he did mine."

Ahim felt the smallest of smiles bloom. "I suppose you have."

* * *

A young man with eyes that usually twinkled with mischief gave an almighty sneeze. His companion looked at him with concern.

"You're not catching a cold, are you, Chiaki?"

Chiaki scowled at his friend. "I'm fine."

The other man grinned. "Good. Your wife would have my head otherwise." His grin grew as the other's darkened. "I promised Kotoha I'd look after you," he reminded him.

"I'm _fine_ , Genta," Chiaki snapped back.

"Will the two of you cut it out?" Their third companion muttered, raising a hand to his forehead and rubbing at his temples where a headache had started. Genta slapped him on the back companionably.

"Aw, don't be like that, Ryunosuke. It was all in jest." He grinned at Chiaki over his shoulder. "Mostly."

Ryunosuke muttered mutinously under his breath.

Genta blinked, checking over his other shoulder with confusion. "Hey, where's –"

"Resting," was Ryunosuke's terse answer.

Genta sighed, glancing at their new residence with a worried crease in his brows.

Ryunosuke caught the look and his features softened. "The innkeeper promised to check-in in a few hours."

"For what we're paying, he'd better," Chiaki muttered darkly, glancing at the inn once more before turning back to the bustling street. He sighed heavily. "Shall we?"

Genta bowed with an exaggerated wave of his hand. "After you."

Chiaki rolled his eyes, picked a direction and started stalking down the road. His eyes continuously swept back and forth as he took everything in. The village surrounding the castle's gates was nice to look at, but it was the _feel_ about the place that set his teeth on edge. His shoulders hunched forward as he felt the weight of unseen eyes upon his back.

"The faster we leave this place the better," he muttered. He glanced at his companions, noting with grim assurance that they too felt the gazes. "Are you sure we can't just grab 'em and run for it?"

"I wish," Ryunosuke murmured back. "But remember what Kaoru- _hime_ said. We have to keep this –"

"Quiet," Chiaki interrupted with an exaggerated sigh. "I know, I know."

"We don't want to create an international incident," Genta added merrily.

"Of course not," Chiaki agreed. "Because where would be the fun in _that_?" He looked over at Genta as the taller man nudged him and Ryunosuke with his elbows. "What?"

Genta nodded toward a gathered crowd where official-looking parchments littered a wooden sign board. "Shall we see?"

"Might as well," Ryunosuke murmured.

The three waded their way through the assembled group of people as they stood by, gossiping in quiet, terse voices. Chiaki frowned, unable to catch their words. He glanced over at Ryunosuke to see the man's brows furrowed in concentration as he tried to listen without being noticed. Ignoring the chatter, Genta slid through the crowd to the sign board with ease. He stopped in front of the board, eyebrows disappearing into his hairline at what he saw.

Chiaki let out a low whistle when he finally managed to struggle to the front, eyes snagging on the same thing Genta had seen. "That's quite a hefty price on one person's head." He looked at the line of wanted posters. "What did these guys do?"

"Robbery, murder, willful destruction of property," Ryunosuke read as he joined his companions, deciphering the local language. "The list goes on."

"Wonder how much of it is true," Chiaki commented with curiosity.

"So they're a group of thieves then?" Genta asked, turning to Ryunosuke for confirmation. When the man nodded, Genta's eyes quickly scanned the posters. "There're no illustrations. Is there a description?"

"Vague ones," Ryunosuke answered. "There are two men, a Joe Gibken and Gai Ikari, and a woman by the name of Luka Millfy. Their leader goes by the name of Captain Marvelous."

Chiaki snorted. "Seriously?"

Genta's fingers tapped a quick staccato against his leg. "I've heard of these guys."

"You have?"

Genta nodded. "We should ask them for help."

"The thieves?" Ryunosuke was aghast.

"They could help us steal them back," Genta explained, keeping his voice low, though he was fairly certain the crowd around them couldn't understand him anyways. "They're good. I've heard rumors of the treasures they've found across the lands – for the right price, of course." He turned to face his companions. "They usually don't stick around for long. It'd be best to catch them before they disappear again."

"I don't think –"

"We don't have _time_ to think this through," Genta reminded him. "The longer we're here – the longer _they're_ here –"

"I know, I know," Ryunosuke bit in. He threw a glare at the wanted posters. "But disreputable _thieves_?"

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend," Chiaki murmured.

"How do we know they wouldn't betray _us_?" Ryunosuke countered.

"I don't." Genta ran a hand through his hair with a deep sigh. "But, perhaps, for the right price…"

"Oh, perfect, brilliant." Ryunosuke rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Genta raised a single eyebrow at the man. "Have you got a better idea?"

Ryunosuke grit his teeth together. "No."

"I say we try Genta's plan," Chiaki nodded toward the wanted posters. "If they're as good as he says, then it's worth a shot. Besides," he grinned. "It's not any more ludicrous than when we snuck into Aduro."

Ryunosuke shot the man an exasperated look. "Are you forgetting what happened to your leader after you lot snuck in? His capture and enslavement? Nearly being executed?"

Chiaki waved away his concerns. "It worked out in the end, didn't it?"

Ryunosuke's face grew serious and tinged with exhaustion. "For a while, yes."

The air between the three grew heavy at the reminder, eyes drawn to the castle casting its long shadow over the village as it towered above them all with its omnipresent leer.

Genta placed a hand on their shoulder, fresh determination in his eyes. "Well, let's try to salvage what we can." He gave the other two a light shove. "I'll go talk to the locals – send out some feelers. See if we can't get in contact with this captain and his crew."

"And what should _we_ do?"

Genta grinned. "Try to stay out of trouble."

* * *

A robust young woman sauntered over to the table, tray in hand. Throwing a striking smile at the assembled group she began setting plates in front of the guests.

The enticing aroma of roasted meat and vegetables arose from the plates she set before them, and it was all Chiaki could do to refrain from digging in right away. It had been a _long_ day, and he wanted nothing more than to eat until he was fit to burst and then collapse in the bed that was waiting for him upstairs.

Instead he waited with impatience as he watched the woman flick a stray curl over her shoulder with a flirtatious smile. She asked something in the local language, but when they didn't reply, she switched smoothly into the common tongue.

"Anything else I can get for you?" She lowered her gaze before looking at them through her eyelashes.

No, Chiaki realized. Not _them_ but at Ryunosuke. He shot a quick glance at the taller man, but as usual, the man was oblivious. Chiaki grabbed his goblet in an attempt to hide his grin with a sip of the mulled wine.

"That will be all, thank you," Ryunosuke waved her off with a casual flick of his wrist, missing the small, disappointed frown that pulled at her lips in response.

The woman glanced at the rest of the table, her gaze snagging on the hooded member of the group and her frown deepened. She erased it quickly with a subtle shrug of her shoulders. "If you're sure." She placed a gentle hand on Ryunosuke's shoulder, her lips pulling up into a sultry smile as he glanced up at her. "If you need _anything_ , don't hesitate to call me."

This time Ryunosuke blinked at her, momentarily dumbfounded as if seeing her for the first time.

Genta and Chiaki exchanged gazes of equal mirth as they hurriedly buried their faces in their mugs to cover their sniggering. The hooded figure sitting next to Genta gave a small cough in an attempt to cover laughter.

Ryunosuke watched, entranced, as the young woman sauntered away, hips swinging slow and enticingly as she moved in a way that said she was well aware and pleased with the attention.

"Now that Ryunosuke has discovered the female species," Chiaki began, earning him a glare from the man and a snort of laughter from Genta. "Shall we get back to the matter at hand?"

Ryunosuke scowled, opening his mouth to argue back when Genta cut him off.

"I spoke with some of the locals," he murmured so that the general robust calls for more ale and guffaws of laughter masked his words. His companions shifted closer to the table in their seats so that they wouldn't have to strain to hear. "It seems this Captain Marvelous and his crew live up to their reputation."

"What's the catch?" Chiaki asked, sensing the other man's unspoken hesitation.

Genta sighed gustily. "No one has actually _seen_ the infamous Captain."

"With the size of the reward on those wanted posters, I'd keep a low profile too," Ryunosuke remarked, taking a sip of from his mug before stabbing a steamed piece of potato on his fork.

"That's just it," Genta continued. "From the tales the locals were telling, the Captain is _every_ where. He and his crew already know the ins and outs of this city." He leaned forward in his chair and lowered his voice so that they all had to shift forward. " _Even the castle_."

Chiaki let out a low whistle. "That gutsy, huh?" He finished cutting a chunk of meat and popped it into his mouth, savoring the flavor with immense satisfaction. It tasted as wonderful as it had smelled. "Sounds like our kind of guy."

Ryunosuke frowned. "That seems like an unnecessary risk – taunting the king by sneaking in and out of his home whenever the thrill strikes him."

Genta spoke around a mouthful of food. "The way they tell it, it's like a game. Both seem to enjoy it as much as they hate each other – a contest of wits and daring to see who will be caught unawares first."

"And we want to work with this guy?" Ryunosuke's tone was dubious.

"Any enemy of the king is an ally of ours," Chiaki muttered as he sampled another forkful.

The trio hushed as the young woman from before approached once more, decanter in hand. "Can I top you gentlemen off?" Her question was directed at the group but she slid her gaze and smile in Ryunosuke's direction, delighted when the man flushed.

"Please," Genta answered for his suddenly tongue-tied friend. "And thank you."

"My pleasure," she shared a knowing smile with Genta before winking at Ryunosuke. His flush deepened.

She made quick efficient work of filling their mugs, hesitating at the cloaked figure. Her smile stilled, a smidgen of uncertainty crossing her features as she studied the last member of the group. She looked at Genta. "How about your friend there?"

Genta glanced at the figure sitting next to him, waving at the young woman to go ahead when he caught the subtle nod.

"Everything to your taste?" She asked to cover the awkward moment.

"It's great, thank you," Genta answered.

The woman glanced at them. "Your accents," she started, her head tilting to the side as she studied them. "It's different than the usual folk who come along the trade routes."

"Just passing through." Genta sent her a winsome smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, the figure beside him tensing. He laid a subtle hand on his silent companion's arm in caution.

The young woman merely looked at Ryunosuke with a slight pout of her lips. "You're not staying?"

"N-no," Ryunosuke stammered out, earning him a quiet snicker of amusement from Chiaki beside him.

"Shame," she sighed, looking genuinely disappointed. Her gaze flitted between the four gathered at the table, glancing briefly over Genta's shoulder before turning at a call from across the room. "Coming!" She looked at the group, gaze lingering on Ryunosuke for a moment. "Let me know if your plans change." She hurried over to another table.

Having caught the woman's glance, Genta was ready for the voice that sounded from behind him.

"You'll break Rania's heart if you leave now."

Ryunosuke and Chiaki glanced over Genta's shoulder to see the back of a pale head of hair take a long, unconcerned draught from his mug.

"That a fact?" Chiaki asked, tensing at how easily the man had slipped in behind them without their noticing.

"Sure," the man glanced over his shoulder with a wide, disarming smile. "She's had her eye on your friend there since the moment you lot entered the room." He nodded at Ryunosuke, lifting his mug to him in approval.

"Rather observant," Genta commented off-handedly, taking a sip from his own mug, feeling the tension radiating from the companion beside him. "She a friend of yours?"

"We go back a little," the enigmatic man admitted, turning fully in his seat so that he was reclining with the table at his back. "She's a sweet girl, very easy to talk to."

"And just what has she spoken to you about?" Genta asked, turning at last with a quirk of an eyebrow.

The man waved away the subtle accusation in Genta's query before taking another drink. "Don't be so quick to judge Rania." He relaxed against the table, resting the ankle of his right leg upon the knee of his left. His posture radiated unconcern, but there was a way he held himself that suggested he wasn't one to be trifled with so easily. "Your probing has been noticed," he continued, cocking an eyebrow at the group before him. "What do you want?"

"We're looking for someone," Ryunosuke started.

"Like I said, we've heard," the man brushed the comment away with an impatient wave of his hand. "You're looking for Captain Marvelous and his crew." He took a sip from his mug, eyes never leaving theirs as they tensed. "I want to know why."

Genta fully turned in his seat to better face the man as a niggling feeling tugged at him. His casual inquiries had worked faster than he would have thought. He didn't doubt that this was one of the captain's own. The only question now was how much they could trust him. If the man before them was among the fringes of the group, the information could easily be sold to the king's men for the right price. The trick would be convincing this man that their request was worthwhile enough to send along so that it reached his leader's ears instead.

"We need him to steal something for us," he began. "We'd be willing to pay him well for the job."

"Yeah?" The man asked, seemingly disinterested as he went to take another draught. "How much?"

When Ryunosuke stated a figure the man choked. Thumping a fist against his chest he looked at them with incredulous eyes.

"That must be quite the trinket." He studied them with renewed interest. "Where is it?"

"The king's castle."

The man gave a low whistle, dark eyes dancing. "Filching from under the nose of the king, huh? That's a risk alright." He glanced at each of their faces, lingering on the hooded figure with curiosity. "You're either the gutsiest group I've ever met or the stupidest."

"Please," the hooded figure spoke at last, voice hushed even in the raucous room. "We need your help."

The man rubbed at his chin, not entirely convinced. "I dunno. It's not worth our necks to upset the king on _your_ behalf. He's a fair temper on him. Especially when we don't know who we're dealing with."

Ryunosuke gave a startled noise of warning as the hooded figure turned slowly on the bench to face the fair-haired man. A hand went up, silencing Ryunosuke's protests before they could start, and the men tensed.

The stranger watched the scene with amusement as the figure moved cautiously, fingers gripping the hood and pulling the dark fabric away.

The blond man blinked at the revealed person before him, momentarily startled. "Well," he said at last as the hood raised once more, concealing features. "That changes things a bit." He looked at the group assembled before him with something akin to respect before he drained the dregs from his mug and moved to stand. "Turns out you're our kind of stupid."


	7. Sunlight and Shadows

**Author's Note:** Alright! Time to get the party started! :D Enjoy~! Constructive Criticism is always welcomed.

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Six: Sunlight and Shadows_

The group of four travelers stood in the dim passageway, the atmosphere tense as they waited for further instructions. They had followed the fair-haired man from the tavern through a series of maze-like passages below the city. The further they'd traveled underground, the more their anxiety had climbed. It would be a simple matter to ditch them down in the labyrinthine pathways, leaving the group hopelessly lost, until they succumbed to desperation or a knife's edge in the dark.

As they'd crept along the paths, the group could just make out their guide's head bobbing along in the shadows. They had glanced at the darker recesses as they'd moved along, feeling eyes unseen upon their backs. To say it had been a nerve-wracking journey would have been an understatement, but, they supposed, their entire journey was so improbable to begin with that they were beginning to feel a saturation point with their fears.

After what had felt like hours, their guide had urged them to wait in the hall outside a dark tunnel until he came back for them. That had been at least half an hour ago.

Now the group waited. One leaned against the wall, two sat upon the damp floor, and the last was trying his best to trace a path of his own as he paced back and forth in a relentless stride.

"Will you quit," Chiaki hissed at the pacer. "I feel exhausted just watching."

"He can't help it," a voice sounded from above him and Chiaki looked up into Genta's tense face where he leaned against the wall. "Ryunosuke doesn't know how to relax."

"As if anyone could relax in a place like this," Ryunosuke muttered darkly, though his pacing slowed and he dragged a hand across his face. "I don't think I've had a moment's peace since this entire debacle started."

"None of us have," Genta murmured, glancing at the hooded figure sitting against the wall next to Chiaki. "And I doubt any of will be able to until we're able to put this country far behind us again."

They tensed as they heard soft footsteps approaching.

Without a word, the four stood to face whoever was coming, Chiaki offering a hand to the hooded figure next to him who took it with a murmur of thanks. They turned to see that their guide had returned with another person in tow – a young woman from the looks of it.

Her hair hung to her shoulders, eyes sharp and narrowed as she studied the group before her. "This is them, then?" She asked her companion without taking her eyes off them for a second.

"Yep!" Her companion's tone was almost jovial compared to her creeping doubt.

"They don't look like much." She sniffed and crossed her arms across her chest. "Wonder how much truth there is to the tales."

"Tales?"

She raised an eyebrow in Genta's direction, but didn't answer. Her gaze instead fixated on the hooded figure, sharp eyes missing nothing as she noticed the slight angle with which the person held their body. "What's wrong with you? Gotta bum leg or something?"

"Or something," the figure murmured, faint amusement threaded through the tone.

Her lips pursed together. "Guess there's some truth to the rumors after all." She looked swiftly around them all before lingering on the hooded figure once more. "And just as many lies." She turned swiftly on her heel and began traveling back the way she'd come. "Well, come on," she called over her shoulder. "We haven't got all day."

The fair-haired man's smile widened and he gave a flourished bow at the group. "After you."

They followed the clipped footsteps of the stern young woman down a long dark tunnel until they emerged in a dimly lit passage where she gave a distinct knock upon a thick wooden door. There was a beat of silence before a series of clicks could be heard from the other side and the door opened a fraction.

The young woman grasped the edge of the door, opening it just wide enough to slip inside. The group of four looked at the man bringing up the rear but he simply waved them forward without a word.

Shoulders tense they made their way through the door, pushing aside a series of long, tattered curtains to arrive blinking in a well-lit stone room.

Mismatched furniture was placed haphazardly around the room, giving it an almost homey feel despite the damp, heavy atmosphere that told them they were underground.

"Huh." Genta took it all in with a swift glance.

"What were you expecting? A dirt hole?"

Genta glanced at the man from the tavern. "I was expecting to meet more of the captain's crew."

"Most of them are out on errands. The rest I booted out for this meeting. I assumed you'd appreciate a little privacy."

They looked up as a new figure strode into the room, every inch of him exuding an almost reckless confidence. A large grin sat beneath sharp dark eyes that eyed the assembled group with interest. His long crimson coat snapped out behind him as he made his way toward an intricately carved wooden chair placed on a small dais in the center of the room.

On his heels, following almost like a shadow, came a tall man, long dark hair pulled into a low ponytail that nearly reached the center of his back. His face was as serious as the other man's was eager. A pair of swords hung at his hips below his blue, shorter jacket.

The group looked at the man who commanded the room's attention with his mere presence as he stood upon the dais and gave them a deep bow in greeting. "Welcome to my home. I am Captain Marvelous." He indicated the man on his right. "This is Joe. You've already met my spymaster, Gai," he waved at the fair-haired man who gave the group a mock salute in greeting. "And Luka," he indicated the woman who stood closer to the door with intense, observant eyes.

The man called Captain Marvelous settled himself in his seat as if it were the king's throne. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

The group of travelers exchanged glances before Ryunosuke stepped forward. "I'm –"

"I know who you are," Marvelous cut Ryunosuke off mid-sentence with a touch of impatience. "I wish to speak to the leader of your group." His eyes lit upon the hooded figure, eager anticipation shining bright. "I hear you'll pay a pretty sum for some valued treasure."

The figure placed a placating hand on Ryunosuke's shoulder before stepping forward, hood falling back.

"As I'm sure you're well aware, they're invaluable to us, but yes, we do intend to pay you for your services."

Marvelous' grin grew. "Not quite as dead as Almanzor would have hoped, huh?"

"Not for a lack of trying, I assure you," Takeru returned the grin with a small, tired one of his own.

Marvelous reclined in his chair with a shrug. "He pays for the best, but often I find if you want a job done right, you do it yourself." He raised a brow at the man before him. "I assume that's why you're here instead of recovering from your wounds in a sick bed?"

Takeru's hand involuntarily rose to the aggravated injury across his chest, its familiar throb an ever-present reminder of his failings to protect that which mattered most to him in this world. "The healers were less than pleased at my insistence in joining this mission, but, as you've said, I want it done myself."

"Not completely by yourself," Marvelous nodded toward Takeru's companions where they stood rigidly at his side.

"There wasn't time to argue against it," Takeru's grin was without humor.

"As if we'd let you do this alone," Chiaki muttered from his side. "Kotoha'd have my hide."

Gai and Luka's lips lifted at the quiet comment.

"Wife got ya by the apron strings?" Luka asked, eyes sparking with mischief.

Chiaki scowled, turning to snap back when Genta's hand on his shoulder gave him pause. Marvelous gave a sharp bark of laughter before waving them forward, Gai slipping away to reappear with a chair in hand. He placed it a few paces from Marvelous and indicated that Takeru should take a seat.

Takeru held back a wince as he sat, skin pulling at the healing ridge of the scar across his chest. Kaoru was going to kill him when she found out he hadn't been taking it as easy as she'd ordered upon his departure.

"Truth is, there are several treasures I'd love to claim myself up in that castle," Marvelous continued conversationally as he watched Takeru settle stiffly into his seat with a careful eye.

"Is that why you've stuck around so long?"

Marvelous looked up at the man who'd placed himself just behind Takeru, one hand on the chair's backrest.

"Genta," he introduced himself at the Captain's silent eyebrow raise. "Rumors say you never stay in one place for long."

"Keeps us out of the hands looking to seek justice for our past crimes," Marvelous responded with a flash of teeth. "In fact," he rested his elbows on the armrests and steepled his fingers before him. "The only reason I trust you lot not to turn us in is your desperation. So we'll make a bargain."

"Bargain?" Ryunosuke's brows furrowed.

Marvelous looked at each member of the quartet in turn. "You get us what _we_ want, and we'll get you what _you_ want."

Takeru was almost afraid to ask. "Which is?"

"Almanzor's head on a silver platter."

There was a beat of silence before Ryunosuke sputtered in the tense quiet. "You want us to dethrone the king?!"

"Not dethrone – _kill_." Marvelous' grin was deadly. "Stories say you're good at that – removing tyrants and their rule."

Ryunosuke was aghast. "That took _years_ to plan!"

Marvelous shrugged, apathetic to the man's protests. "I suggest you don't take long." He fixed Takeru with an unreadable expression. "Unless you want your child growing up never knowing his father."

Takeru blinked. "His?"

"Ah, did we forget to mention that? Your wife had a son some time back. Congratulations."

"B-but," Ryunosuke stammered, the only one able to find his voice in the shocked group. "When –?"

Marvelous looked at Joe who crossed his arms over his chest with a weary sigh. His captain wasn't always known for his tact. "The child was born about two months ago."

"That's too early!" Ryunosuke's tone was aghast, features paling at the implications.

"Guess she went into an early labor," Marvelous shrugged, unconcerned. "All that stress and everything."

Luka glared at Marvelous in mild annoyance. "Your son is fine," she assured Takeru as he buried his haggard face in his hand. "I've seen him myself. His mother cares for his every need. They only thing he lacks is a name. Something about it being your turn to name him." She rolled her eyes toward the heavens with a slight shake of her head. "Don't know what she would have done if you hadn't survived – call him 'little one' for the rest of his life?"

She felt a rueful smile tug at her lips as he pulled his hand away from his face to look at her with the barest hint of a smile, desperation and gratitude fighting for dominance in his gaze.

"How is she?"

Luka exchanged a look with Joe who shrugged. "Let's just say that knowing you're alive is going to help – a _lot._ "

"If I know Mako, she's not going to believe it without proof," Chiaki reminded them.

Takeru grimaced at the memory of the last time he had seen his wife – the look of horror and disbelief, the grief already clouding her features. "You're right."

"We'll figure something out," Genta reassured him, patting his friend's shoulder with encouragement.

Takeru gave his friend a grateful smile. "What about Ayako?" He asked, looking back at Luka. "Our daughter," he clarified when confusion colored her face. He frowned when she stiffened, her eyes darting to her partners. Takeru looked back at Marvelous to see the usual arrogant grin absent from the captain's face. He tensed, anxiety clawing its way through his system. "What? What is it?"

Marvelous' face was serious as he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "There's something we have to tell you." Dread curdled in their stomachs. "And it won't be easy to hear."

* * *

Mako gazed out the window at the fog that hung like a curtain in the sky. If she reached out a hand, could she grab a hold of it and shift it aside, catch a glimpse of the sun that was so elusive to her now?

" _Momma!" A little voice called, jolting Mako from her sleep._

 _It felt as if she had just drifted off. She shifted under the bedclothes, suppressing a groan. Last night had been rough._

" _Momma! Wake-up!"_

 _She bit back a quiet sigh, smile tugging at her lips from the excitement evident in her child's voice. "Yes, Ayako? What is it?" She tried to keep her tone quiet as Takeru stirred next to her in his sleep._

" _The sun's out!" Her daughter called, jubilant as she hopped up and down in the doorway. "Come see! Come see!"_

 _Mako suddenly understood her daughter's exhilaration. The rainy season had been long this year. It'd felt at times like they'd never see the sun again, indeed had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be bathed in the warm rays of sunlight instead of raindrops._

 _Containing the rambunctious energy of her toddler during the seemingly unending season had been a particular challenge. Being at the end of her second pregnancy also hadn't helped any. Mako rubbed her hands over her heavy stomach._

" _Come see, Momma!" Ayako stood on her tiptoes as if perched to fly off into the sunlight that dazzled her eyes and imagination._

 _Mako sighed. It had been an uncomfortable night, the weight of her pregnancy leaving her restless. She'd fallen asleep just before dawn. She glanced over at Takeru's waking form and felt guilt thrum through her. He hadn't had an easy night of it either with her constant shifting._

" _Alright," Mako agreed at last. "I'll come see." She struggled to a sitting position, shooting her husband a grateful smile when he roused himself enough to help her. She braced herself against his arms for a moment as she gathered the wherewithal to make it to her feet._

" _Thank you, sweetheart," Mako murmured as Ayako too rushed over to help her parents. Takeru braced Mako with one hand at her back, the other on her upper arm as she fought for balance. Once she was steady she sighed, rubbing her hands over her protruding stomach, feeling the weight and pressure of gravity pulling down on her. "Any day now," she reminded herself. "Any day."_

 _Takeru placed a gentle kiss on her temple. "Are you okay?"_

" _Just tired," she assured him, arm slipping around his back in a partial embrace, as much as a need for simple contact as support as they moved to follow their exuberant daughter out the sliding paper door, her energy and joy bounding off the walls as she raced out onto the wooden deck._

" _You didn't get much sleep," he murmured as they walked to the door. "I can watch her for a while."_

 _She slid him a smile. "Neither did you."_

 _He gave a half-shrug, one arm around her shoulder, but didn't argue – a sure sign of his exhaustion._

 _Mako's smile widened. "Sure you're ready for two of them?"_

 _Takeru chuckled. "It's a little late for that, I think."_

" _I don't know," Mako countered playfully. "I think Kotoha would be happy to adopt them."_

" _Kotoha and Chiaki play with Ayako then send her home," Takeru reminded her. "It's a lot less work."_

" _Hmm," Mako agreed with a knowing smile. "Though not for long."_

 _Takeru raised a silent brow at her in question._

" _Just a feeling," she murmured, one hand slipping around to her lower back with a slight frown. The pressure had been increasing the last few days. She looked down at her belly. "Whenever you're ready."_

" _Momma! Look!" Ayako encouraged as Mako and Takeru slipped into the shade of the wooden deck, their daughter already darting around the small, enclosed garden with reckless abandon, sunlight gleaming off her dark hair._

 _Despite her exhaustion, Mako felt something sweet and ephemeral fill her from the inside out as she watched her daughter dancing in the sunshine. She rested her head against her husband's shoulder with a happy sigh of contentment. Takeru responded by kissing her softly on the top of her head before slipping both arms around her and holding her close._

" _Momma, come play," Ayako urged, beckoning her mother to join her. She turned with a frown when a shadow crept over the wall, blocking out the sun. "Go away cloud!"_

" _It will pass," Mako assured her child with amusement, hiding her smile behind her hand as Ayako looked ready to stomp her foot at the cloud's daring. She held out a hand to cup a sunbeam as the white puff drifting in the sky moved past. She looked out and over the garden, drinking in the verdant plant growth as everything stretched toward the sun._

" _The bamboo grew well this year," she remarked before looking down at her belly, running a gentle hand over it. "May you grow as healthily." A warm hand settled over hers, squeezing her hand lightly._

" _The baby will be fine," Takeru assured her, as Ayako's animated giggles filled the air._

 _Mako's heart swelled at the rush of love that flooded through her. She leaned forward, eyes sliding closed as Takeru's lips captured hers. She gasped into the kiss, both hands going to her belly as muscles cramped, intensifying by the second._

" _Mako!" Takeru's startled voice sounded above her as she pulled away from his embrace._

 _Mako curled in on herself, air hissing through her teeth as she breathed past the pain._

" _Momma! Momma, are you okay?" Ayako's anxious voice threaded through her hearing as the cramping eased._

" _Takeru," Mako began. "The baby –" She looked down at the pool of clear liquid at her feet._

 _Takeru nodded, already understanding. "It's time." He guided Mako back through the doors to the bed, easing her down into a reclining position as Ayako hovered anxiously behind them._

" _Daddy? Is Momma okay?"_

" _I'm fine, sweetheart," Mako tried to assure her daughter as her next contraction gripped her. Her knuckles turned white as they gripped Takeru's hand as the pain surged through her. She knew her hold had to be hurting him, but he didn't utter a word of complaint or try to draw away._

 _When the contraction started to ease, Takeru kissed his wife on the top of her head with a murmured promise to return as soon as possible with the physicians. He brushed his hand through his daughter's messy hair with a request to watch over her mother until he returned before rushing from the room._

 _Ayako looked from the empty doorway to her mother, blinking in confusion. "Momma?"_

 _Mako worked to push a smile onto her face, trying to unclench her muscles, skin already damp from the effort. "Are you ready to be a big sister?"_

 _Ayako's eyes lit up brighter than the sunshine outside. "The baby's coming?"_

 _Mako gave Ayako a jerky nod as she scooted closer to her mother, excitement coloring her entire face. She planted herself next to her mother's side and laid her head gently on her mother's belly._

" _Be nice to Momma," she told her unborn sibling, breath warm against Mako's stomach. "I love her." She patted her mother's stomach softly. "You'll love her too."_

 _Mako felt a rush of tears fill her eyes as she watched her daughter in amazement. "Momma loves you, too."_

Mako closed her eyes against the rush of tears, the memory tearing into her heart and mind as a physical pain. She clutched at the clothes above her heart, leaning her forehead against the cold, gray stone walls, trying to breathe past the moment.


	8. Protector

**Author's Notes:** So this chapter took a little longer to come out, but given the length of it I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me. ;) Constructive criticism is always welcomed. Enjoy!

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Seven: Protector_

Takeru stood abruptly, cutting off the other man's words mid-sentence and strode out of the room. Neither his companions nor the captains' tried to stop him. He shoved the tattered hanging curtains roughly aside and pushed his way out the door, making his way into the darkness and solitude of the darkened tunnel.

He halted his steps, slamming the side of his clenched fist into the stone wall, welcoming the pain. His bitter curse echoed off the walls.

How had it come to this? Hadn't they been through enough?

He had sworn to protect them!

 _Takeru paced the length of the room, unable to keep still. His ceaseless movements were matched only by Ryunosuke's when the announcement was made. That had been hours ago._

 _A quiet sigh sounded from an older man sitting comfortably upon his cushion, a hot cup of tea in hand. "It seems like only yesterday I was doing the same during your birth," he commented, a warm nostalgia washing over the deep lines in his face as he glanced over at Takeru. "Has so much time passed already?"_

" _Jii," Takeru shot the man an affectionate but exasperated look._

 _Jii waved away the concern laced evenly through Takeru's voice. "Mako's a strong young woman – and just as stubborn." He chuckled quietly to himself. "The pair of you are fretting over nothing. She and the child will pull through just fine."_

" _The midwives said –"_

" _Let them cluck their tongues all they want," Jii interrupted the beginning of Ryunosuke's argument. "Child birthing is not easy," he conceded with a nod at the other man's pursed lips. "But I am positive the two will be fine." He eyed the two men. "Your pacing will do nothing but create unnecessary wear upon the tatami."_

 _With a quiet sigh Takeru finally settled himself next to the man who had raised him after his parent's early demise. Jii had guided him through all the trials and tribulations that came with being adopted into the main branch of the Shiba household. Takeru knew he could always trust his advice – even when it wasn't easy._

 _Exhaustion swept through him even as a nervous energy surged through his limbs. He accepted the hot cup of tea Jii slid his way, inhaling the relaxing steam as it washed over his face._

" _Jii's right," Genta called from his comfortable position upon the floor._

" _Because you have so much experience with birth," Ryunosuke snapped back, his pacing relentless._

" _Kotoha's with her," Chiaki reminded the prickly caretaker from where he sat in the doorway, his back leaning against the doorframe. "She promised she'd keep us updated."_

 _Ryunosuke shot the younger man an unamused look at the hint of a taunting smirk. "I'll be sure to remind you of that when Kotoha has_ her _first child."_

 _Chiaki gave a shrug that was not as casual as he pretended it to be._

 _A smart knock sounded at the door before it slid open just enough to allow the petite figure of a young woman to step through. Her face was flushed and tight with worry, but there was a look of wonder and awe on her face that echoed in the tiny smile gracing her lips._

 _All eyes focused on her as the door slid closed soundlessly behind her. Ryunosuke paused mid-step as he watched the woman, his shoulders tense._

 _She looked around the room, lingering on each face briefly, as if caught in a daze._

" _Kaoru?" Takeru prompted, rising to his feet with more than a little concern at her uncharacteristic distraction._

 _She blinked, focusing on her adopted brother for a long moment before a wondering smile lit up her face. "You are a father, Takeru," she informed him, shifting a bundle of blankets held securely in her arms._

 _All attention in the room shifted to the overlooked bundle, energy springing to a new high of anticipation. Eyes swung between Takeru and Kaoru as the two stared at each other._

 _Something moved beneath the clean blankets and Kaoru shifted the bundle closer. "Patience, little one," she whispered softly before meeting Takeru's stunned gaze once more. "I think she wants you to hold her."_

" _She?" Takeru blinked, his mind whirling too fast to concentrate on any one thought for long._

 _Kaoru nodded. "You have a daughter, Takeru," she told him, keeping her voice gentle as she watched the mounting panic rising in her brother's eyes. She moved smoothly to his side and sat herself beside him with an easy grace. "Would you like to hold her?"_

" _Hold her?"_

 _Jii's sudden burst of laughter eased the tension in the room. "She doesn't bite, Tono."_

 _Takeru felt heat flare up along the back of his neck as Genta and Chiaki joined in the mirth. He looked at the tiny being in Kaoru's arms, a small tuft of dark hair just visible above the warm blankets, and felt an almost paralyzing anticipation strum through him._

 _He thought he'd been ready to be a father, but now that the moment was here doubt began to creep in._

 _In what way was he fit to be a parent? His life had been filled with lies and deception for so long; his hands stained with the blood of countless enemies. How could anyone believe it permissible to lay his unclean hands on such a pure, fragile new life?_

 _Panic suffused his veins as Kaoru shifted the child in her grasp so that she could adjust Takeru's locked limbs into a position suited to accepting his daughter._

 _His daughter! The very thought made him almost dizzy with disbelief. "K-Kaoru," he started to protest, his voice barely above a whisper._

 _Kaoru shot her brother a look of concern, but continued despite his weak protestations and slid the child into his arms._

 _As the warm, tiny weight fell into his arms, Takeru started, automatically holding the bundle closer to his chest._

 _Kaoru shared an amused smile with Jii as they watched Takeru's eyes widen, panic making his muscles tense. Genta and Chiaki moved closer as Kaoru shifted the blankets aside until Takeru caught the first sight of his daughter._

 _Curious dark eyes stared back at him from a pink-tinged face, lips pressed together in an unhappy pout that paused in question as she looked back at the new face peering down at her. Confusion filled her gaze and her face scrunched together, face flushing red as sounds of protest began emitting from within her chest._

 _Takeru turned to the others in panic. "What happened?"_

" _She caught sight of your face," Chiaki grinned, shooting Genta a glare when the man hit him in response._

" _You're doing fine," Jii assured Takeru fondly, a nostalgic gleam in his eyes. "Mind her head."_

" _I don't know what I'm doing," Takeru murmured, shifting his grip to cradle his child's head more carefully, trepidation making him anxious as the she quieted, eyes fixating on his face._

" _No one does with their first child," Jii confided. "You'll learn as you go." He peered at the little one in Takeru's arms with a gentle smile. "See? She's quieting already."_

" _I don't know why," Takeru muttered. "I haven't_ done _anything."_

" _It's you," Kaoru realized, watching the child with fascination. "She's tracking your voice – she recognizes it."_

 _Takeru blinked down at the infant in astonishment. "She recognizes my voice?"_

 _Kaoru nodded. "She calms when she hears it." She turned to give Takeru a rare, soft smile. "It must have been from all that time you spent at Mako's side during her pregnancy."_

" _Hovered worse than Ryunosuke," Genta grinned over at the man who scowled in return._

 _Takeru looked at the child in his arms in wonder, awe making him speechless, as she stared back at him._

" _How is Mako?" Ryunosuke asked, anxiety pinching at his face._

 _All heads turned toward Kaoru when she didn't respond immediately._

" _Mako had some difficulties," she admitted softly. "She's being looked after right now."_

 _Takeru felt something akin to terror spike through him, and he was halfway to his feet before he even realized he'd moved to stand. Kaoru's firm grip on his elbow was the only thing that gave him pause._

" _There's nothing you can do," Jii told him, sympathy stealing over his features as he watched Takeru struggle._

" _Mako told me to bring her to you," Kaoru looked pointedly at the child in his arms and Takeru started, unaware until then that he had tucked his child closer to him in an unconscious effort to keep her safe as he'd readied himself to bolt down the hallway. "She wanted you to look after her for now."_

 _Kaoru bit her lip, feeling the palpable worry radiating off her brother. She was working hard to keep her unease at bay in an effort to keep the group before her calm._

 _She loved Mako. They all did. No one could fathom the thought of losing her, but Kaoru knew all too well that childbirth was not easy. Her own mother hadn't survived long after her third and final pregnancy – a still birth._

 _She looked at her brother's face, feeling her heart constrict at the terror reflected in his eyes, knowing he was seeing that evening in Aduro when the palace had gone up in flames, and those inside were deemed to have been lost – including Mako and Kotoha. Kaoru prayed now as she had then that she never had to see that look on his face again – the hollow emptiness, grief and disbelief._

 _Shaking herself out of her morbid thoughts, Kaoru frowned. "Mako will be_ fine _," she said with a ferocity that made Takeru blink._

 _As he moved to soothe the child in his arms who had begun to become upset at the tenseness in the atmosphere, Kaoru set a glare Ryunosuke's way where the man had been edging toward the door. "If they need your services, they will call for you. We are well aware you've been looking after Mako since you were children," she cut off the man as he opened his mouth to argue. "But please trust in my court physicians, Ryunosuke. I have already left instructions to fetch you should the situation turn unfavorable."_

 _With great reluctance Ryunosuke remained in the room, sinking slowly to the ground against the wall, face carefully blank, but not quite able to still the muscles twitching in his jaw. Genta immediately moved to sit beside the man, whispering quiet words of encouragement and confidence._

 _Very deliberately Chiaki looked back at Takeru and the child in his arms, trying to distract his own worries; he knew Kotoha couldn't be having an easy time of it, but knew she'd be supporting Mako every inch of the way. "So what's her name?"_

 _The room's occupants blinked at Chiaki in confusion. He nodded toward the infant. "Her name," he reiterated. "Did the two of you throw a couple around?"_

" _Mako requested that you name her, Takeru," Kaoru spoke softly. She didn't add that Mako had mentioned it'd help distract him._

" _She wants me to name her?"_

 _Kaoru nodded, biting the inside of her lip at the bewildered expression on her brother's face. Few things in life ever surprised him anymore, but Mako always seemed to be able to come up with new ways to keep him on his toes. She sent a silent prayer to the heavens to keep her sister-in-law safe._

 _Takeru studied the child in his arms. Curious dark eyes gazed back. "I suppose your mother wants me to name you," he murmured to her, feeling a thrill of emotion jolt through him at calling his wife a mother. He'd known it for months, of course, and even had said such in the quiet of their rooms at night when they'd relaxed, dreaming of the future, but it hadn't truly sunk in until now._

 _Swift on the heels of that awareness came the realization that he was a father – a_ father! _There was a tiny, fragile life in the world that would now depend on him to guide and love her; someone who would depend on him for everything – to protect her against anything that would cause her harm in the world._

 _He looked at his child – his daughter – and felt a fierce surge of love and protection for her unlike anything he'd ever felt before. It was as startling as it was astounding._

 _He looked over at Kaoru and saw a similar expression mirrored on her face as she gazed at the child in his arms. Kaoru caught her brother's stare and gave him a quick smile. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" She reached out and traced a gentle finger along the side of her niece's face._

" _Just like her mother," Jii agreed._

" _You have to give Take-chan a little credit," Genta grinned. "That pretty face of his has been attracting stares for_ years _."_

 _Chiaki snorted as Takeru leveled his friend with an unamused look. Genta's grin only widened in response._

 _Jii chuckled at the familiar banter. "As beautiful as she is now, imagine how she'll be as she grows." He took a sip of his now lukewarm tea. "You'll have suitors clamoring at the door in no time."_

 _Kaoru sighed. "We have enough as it is."_

" _Only half as many now that Take-chan's well and truly hitched," Genta supplied._

" _There are still a few hopefuls who think it's a conspiracy," Chiaki reminded him._

 _Jii choked on his tea. "Conspiracy?"_

 _Genta nodded. "Half of them think the roadside marriage is a lie; they're hoping Take-chan loses interest in Mako and admits to her being of a, uh, lower status than a legal wife."_

" _And the other half?" Jii asked, his tone wary, unsure if he wanted to know more idle court gossip._

" _They're hoping Takeru'll take on second and third wives, perhaps even a concubine or two," Chiaki informed him with a roll of his eyes. He'd already dismissed the subject as absurd when the rumors had first sprung up. People had to be blind not to see that aside from death, nothing would separate the couple, and he was fairly positive even that wouldn't separate them for long._

 _Takeru ignored the dark muttering coming from the young woman beside him, his attention fixated on the beautiful child in his arms. He shifted her weight, freeing a hand to tentatively brush it through the dark hair at her crown. A small arm that had been tucked against her chest surfaced from within the warm blankets to bump against his hand. Ever so gently Takeru turned his hand to cup her tiny one in his much larger one. As he marveled at how anyone's skin could be so soft or their fingernails so tiny, the argument around him raged on._

" _We could ban the malcontents from court," Kaoru suggested._

" _You wouldn't have many left," Genta replied as Chiaki snorted, quickly trying to smother his laughter as Kaoru shot him a glare._

" _If you were to choose a suitor, many more would leave the court of their own volition," Jii commented evenly, refilling his cup with a concentration that belied his interest in the conversation._

" _Find me someone suited to_ be _a suitor and I shall," Kaoru retorted, accepting the hot tea Jii offered her._

" _Ryunosuke?" Takeru inquired, startling the man out of his thoughts, and silencing the discussion around them._

 _The uncharacteristically quiet caretaker looked up, meeting Takeru's questioning gaze, and sighed loudly before pushing himself to his feet and making his way over. "Yes?" He asked, his tone testy in an effort to keep his overwhelming fear and irritation at bay._

" _What do you think about 'Ayako'?"_

" _Ayako?"_

 _Takeru nodded, rising to his feet in one smooth motion, and holding his daughter carefully out to the other man, slid her in his arms that rose automatically to catch her. He watched the sudden surge of emotions that chased each other across the caretaker's face – the same feelings Takeru had felt so deeply himself._

 _The room was quiet as Ryunosuke studied the child in his arms for a long moment, water gathering in his eyes the longer he watched her. He looked back at Takeru and something unspoken passed between the two men, easing the tension in the room. "I think 'Ayako' would be perfect."_

" _Welcome to the world, Ayako," Kaoru smiled softly as the door to the room jolted open to reveal an exhausted but smiling Kotoha._

" _She's going to be fine," Kotoha's eye shown with relieved tears. "Mako's going to be fine." She accepted her husband's warm embrace with a grateful smile, burying her face in his shoulder as she took a moment to collect herself._

" _Can I…?"_

 _Kotoha looked over at Takeru with a watery smile. "She's asking for you."_

 _Takeru halted mid-step toward the door, looking back at his daughter with a hesitant expression._

" _Take her with you," Ryunosuke insisted, slipping her back into his arms. "Tell Mako to rest; we'll see her soon."_

 _A grateful smile graced Takeru's face before, holding his daughter gently but firmly against his chest, he made his way down the hall._

 _Kotoha gaped as she looked between Takeru's departing figure and Ryunosuke, who had moved to settle into Takeru's previous seat, gratefully accepting a fresh cup of tea from Jii._

" _Ryunosuke's not insisting he go with Takeru?" Kotoha quietly asked her husband._

" _I think they've finally come to an understanding," Genta murmured as he brushed by, catching Kotoha's incredulity._

" _Took them long enough," Chiaki muttered back, causing the other man to laugh._

 _Kotoha's resultant smile lit her from the inside out, her spirit buoyant in delight as she joined the others, her fingers laced through Chiaki's._

Takeru jumped at the sudden press of a hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his memories.

"The day she was born, I swore I'd protect her, both of them – all of them," he whispered without turning, staring off into the darkness.

"We all did," Ryunosuke reassured him, features pale. "This doesn't lie solely on your shoulders, Takeru." His expression hardened. "We'll get them back, and then we'll make the ones responsible pay."

* * *

Ahim lifted the wicker basket off the cart, eager to get back inside the kitchen. The sun had made a rare appearance that morning, but the breeze that accompanied it had teeth that dug through all the gaps and seams of her clothing.

A weary smile touched her lips. Ironically, she'd been warmer when she'd been living on the streets with Marvelous and his crew than inside the castle she now resided in.

A low, clear bird's chirp wove its way through the hustle and bustle of animal noises and idle gossip, and Ahim paused for the briefest of moments, ear tilted for the sound. She let the sound of it warm her more than the sun's rays before continuing on her way into the kitchen, dodging other members of the staff to set down her basket alongside the others.

She took a minute to blow on her frozen fingers, the heat barely making a dent in the cold, before tugging her sleeves down and over her hands, scrunching the material in her fists in an attempt to protect them as best she could. Then as quiet as a whisper she slipped back out into the crowd, disappearing into the flurry of bodies and supplies.

Once free of the throng she ducked around a gray stone wall, the ivy clinging to its surface having long gone into hibernation. Sliding along its surface, she followed the barely discernible path through the tangle of brush and into a thick copse of evergreens. Sweat beaded on her brow as she pushed her way through the rich emerald needles, their scent clean and crisp against the headier scent of wet earth from the previous night's showers. She glanced up at the patches of bright sky through the branches knowing that the next wash of precipitation would bring snow instead of rain.

As Ahim shoved the last couple of strong branches out of her face her foot caught on a tangle of roots, pitching her forward into the clearing. With a quiet gasp she flung her arms out, flailing for balance as a released branch swung back across her cheek, leaving behind a small welt.

"Whoa!" A startled voice sounded as strong arms caught her before she could fall face first onto the damp ground. "You gotta be more careful there, Ahim. Marvelous would have my head if you caught a cold after a tumble in the mud. Of course, that's assuming there'd be anything left once Luka got a hold of me." Gai's laugh was warm and Ahim couldn't help but smile back.

"Sorry," she apologized through small gasps of breath. "I shall try to be more careful next time."

Gai patiently waited for her to steady, brows drawing together with a slight frown as he looked her over in concern. She tensed, waiting for the inevitable line of questioning that accompanied such a scrutiny. To her surprise he put the matter aside and she gave a quiet sigh of relief. With a determined effort she straightened, rolling her shoulders back to stand properly.

"Has something happened?"

A grin stretched across Gai's face. "Marvelous sent me," he began. "He wants to meet your roommate."

A thrill of elation raced through her at his implication, hope expanding inside her chest. "They came."

Gai gave her a wink in response and she felt tears prick at her eyes. "Thank the heavens." Her hands clasped together before her chest as if in prayer.

"Marvelous wants Doc to stay behind as a lookout – to cover if anyone comes snooping."

Ahim nodded. "I shall tell him when I return."

"Someone will be around a candle mark past midnight. Make sure you're both ready; we won't have a lot of time to spare."

She bit her lip, trying to focus on the precious time she would have instead of the lack. "Of course."

Sensing the direction of her thoughts Gai's smile softened. "Soon," he promised. "It's just a matter of time now."

Ahim clenched her fingers to her chest, pressing on the tight band that seemed to be wrapped around her heart. "I hope you are right." She looked up as he draped a warm arm around her in a half hug.

"Come on," he gave her thin shoulder a squeeze. "Let's get you back before you're missed." His eyes swam with concern as he watched her features close off at the mention of going back into the king's stronghold. He glanced in the direction of the castle and felt a burning hatred stir in his gut knowing that 'soon' couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

Mako stared at the blindfold dubiously.

She'd agreed to follow Ahim on another late night journey through the castle, wondering just how much they were pushing their luck at being out of bed at this hour. She hadn't even questioned the presence of Ahim's friend from the kitchen – _Don_ , her mind supplied for her helpfully – when he'd stumbled nervously out of the shadows, checking over his shoulders every few seconds. To be honest, she'd wanted to do the same. It always felt like there were unseen eyes marking her every move in this wretched place.

They'd stolen through the castle in remarkable timing – Ahim and Don seemed to know every nook and cranny, staircase and hidden hallway. She'd even readily followed the pair out a side door and into the frigid temperatures, wrapping her clothing as tightly around herself and her child as possible. But now Don was holding out a strip of cloth he had produced from a pocket and was asking her to tie it around her eyes, his nerves amplifying the longer she stared at him in suspicion.

"What's taking so long?" A quiet voice asked from the shadows, startling the small group as a dark figure materialized from the dark.

"Joe," Ahim breathed, relief evident on her face.

The taller man looked her over with a quiet frown, noting the lines of exhaustion around her eyes and in her posture. His lips thinned but he didn't comment, instead he looked around the group, arms crossing over his chest. "We don't have much time."

"Time for what?" Mako asked, keeping her voice low, arms tightening around her child, keeping him close to the warmth of her chest.

"The longer you stall, the colder you will become," he answered insead, looking pointedly at the bundle she held. "It can't be healthy for your child."

Mako stiffened at the subtle accusation. Before she had a chance to snap something back Ahim stepped in.

" _Please_ , Ms. Mako," she entreated. "Trust us."

Mako glanced at her friend, noting the same exhaustion Joe had, now tinged with a hint of desperation. Ahim couldn't be much warmer or comfortable than she as they stood exposed in the cold. She looked to the two men. While Joe was better at hiding it, the two had the same air of anxiety that clung to Ahim. Just what was going on?

"I promise everything shall be explained once we arrive," Ahim continued.

"But I can't know where this place of arrival is?"

Ahim bit her lip but nodded in response.

"Why?"

"It is for your protection as much as ours."

Mako watched her friend for a long minute, the sincerity in her eyes ringing as true as her words. Against her better judgment Mako felt herself relenting, returning Ahim's grateful smile with an unsure one of her own before the scrap of cloth slid across her vision, turning the night into an impenetrable darkness.

"I'll take him," Ahim's voice sounded next to her. Mako hesitated for a moment before loosening her grip and letting the younger woman take her child. Memories of when she'd first arrived at this place stole over her, and she warred with the need to snatch her son back. The metal ring around her neck seemed to grow colder, pressing an icy kiss against her skin that sent shivers down her spine.

"It will be easier if Joe carries you, Ms. Mako," Ahim continued. "I assure you, he will be careful."

Mako nodded but couldn't stop herself from tensing at the feeling of unfamiliar hands scooping her up. He was strong, and she was pleasantly surprised at the warmth from the contact as he held her, but it only increased the longing in her heart for the embrace of another, one she knew she'd never feel again.

"I'll keep watch," Don's quiet voice sounded from somewhere in the darkness. "Be safe."

Mako started when Joe adjusted his grip on her one last time before setting off at an easy, loping pace. Her arms were around his shoulders in an effort to hang onto something on this mad journey, but it gave her little comfort. She felt a surge of guilt as she heard Ahim's footsteps keeping pace with Joe's, and she had to bite her tongue to keep from suggesting they switch. Instead she strained her ears for the sound of danger – whatever that would sound like – and for any sign of discomfort or stress from her child.

She quickly lost all sense of direction and time as the cold air swept over and through her, chilling her to the bone as they stole through the night.

Finally, when Mako almost couldn't stand the endless darkness, cold and uncertainty any longer she felt her companion slowing. After a few more minutes they moved into a slightly warmer area – the sounds around them beginning to echo in odd ways, and Mako realized they must have entered a tunnel of some kind. It was still cold, but the wind was no longer biting, and for that she was immensely grateful. Anticipation soon began to gnaw at her as she realized they were approaching their destination.

Mako did her best to slip gracefully out of Joe's hold as he set her back on her feet. The blindfold was pulled off her eyes not moments later, and she found herself blinking in the light of a single torch along the wall. The flickering flames were bright enough to make her squint after the long darkness.

As her eyes adjusted she watched as Joe softly rubbed his hands up and down Ahim's arms to try and warm her chilled body. Ahim leaned into the contact gratefully.

Sensing Mako's gaze, Ahim looked over with a flush. Regret flitted over the young woman's face as she stepped away from his touch. "We don't have much time."

Joe's mouth thinned but he nodded, turning to move down the semi-lit tunnel. Ahim let out the faintest of sighs as she watched his retreating back before catching Mako's eye and nodding in Joe's direction, moving to follow when Mako started after him.

Mako's eyes darted about the shadows, ears straining to catch any sounds of forewarning when they paused at a thick wooden door.

Joe gave a series of knocks and taps that signaled their arrival. After a moment, the door cracked open, revealing the relieved expression of a young, auburn haired woman who swung the door open wide and threw her arms around Ahim.

"You're freezing," the woman scowled at the meager clothing Ahim wore. "I should have made Joe bring you something." She glared up at Joe with no actual heat in her eyes. "What took you so long?"

"We had to be careful," he responded, a faint smile touching his lips as he moved past her into the room beyond.

"We're fine," Ahim assured her. "Joe took good care of us."

"I suppose," she finally allowed. She glanced over at Mako with a studying sweep of her eyes.

"Luka, this is Ms. Mako Shiba," Ahim smiled, turning to introduce the two women. "Ms. Mako, this is Luka."

Mako nodded in the other woman's direction, her heart giving a familiar twinge of pain at the use of her full name as Luka returned the greeting.

"Let's get the lot of you inside," Luka waved them forward as she glanced at the bundle in Ahim's arms. "We'll get all of you warm." She held the thick tattered curtains aside, no longer needing to urge Ahim inside as the young woman's stride lengthened. Excitement and elation graced her features as she made her way into the room beyond, leaving them behind.

Mako's gaze swept over the mismatched furnishings inside– some in better conditions than others, and couldn't help but wonder which ones had been purchased through legal means and which had been lifted from their previous owners. It surprised her to discover that the answer didn't matter to her much as it probably should have.

Her ears snagged on the sounds of insistent questions and amused reassurances to see Ahim being embraced by a man with shoulder-length dark hair and searching eyes. His expression was a blend of concern and relief. He traced the dark circles forming under her eyes with a sharp question that she answered with a soft murmur and shake of her head. His shoulders fell minutely, quickly replaced with a hard anger that she tried to soothe with a warm, one-armed embrace. It was then that he looked down at the bundle in her arms. A moment of shock passed over his features, swiftly followed by understanding and his eyes quickly scanned the room, pinning Mako with the intensity of someone well-practiced in being able to read a person or situation in an instant.

Mako was used to the scrutiny of others, indeed had been surrounded by it all her life. However, she wasn't prepared for the swift grin that raked across his face once he'd made his quick assessment.

"Welcome, Princess." He gave an elaborate bow. "You can call me Captain Marvelous. I believe you've met most of my crew." He indicated the small group gathered in the room.

Mako greeted the captain, her stance wary and tense, disliking his chosen form of address. There was a faint mocking tone to it that set her teeth on edge.

She eyed her son so close to the strange man, but trusted Ahim to care for him.

"I've heard a lot about you," the man continued. "They say you come from a false kingdom that was known for its arrogance, where their women knew only one skill – how to entice a man." His teeth flashed white in a quick grin. "Is that how you managed to snag the hand of an infamous warlord?" His eyes grew hard. "Did a simple sway of your hips leave him falling at your knees, unable to leave you behind?"

Mako glowered, biting her cheek to keep herself in check; she wouldn't rise to the bait. It wasn't like it was a rumor she hadn't heard before.

" _Marvelous!_ " Ahim hissed, appalled at his audacity.

"My apologies, Ahim," his tone was sincere when he spoke to the demure young woman but if he was abashed in any way, Mako certainly couldn't see any signs of it.

The captain's gaze never left Mako's as he continued, something akin to flint in his eyes as he spoke. "I ask only because it appears that her dear sister now sits beside the throne of your captor."

"Sister?" Mako's shoulders tensed in defense.

The man bit out a sharp bark of laughter. "Don't try and play coy now, Princess. The whole of the land has heard of your relation to _Her Majesty_."

"He speaks of Queen Kamilla, consort to King Almanzor," Ahim quietly explained, her eyes apologetic.

Mako's voice was deceptively soft as she addressed the captain. "You wish to confirm if Kamilla and I are related."

"She is your sister, is she not?" Marvelous studied the young woman in front of him with an inscrutable expression.

Mako's eyes flashed. "The same man may have contributed in bringing about our being, but she is no more a sister to me than the former king of Aduro was a father."

"So you will not take offense if something _unfortunate_ should befall her one day?" He watched her with that same enigmatic façade.

"If you're asking if I would lose sleep over her death, the answer is no," Mako felt something fisting itself around her lungs. "She is the one who whispered in Almanzor's ear to bring me as a hostage to this country." Her voice became a harsh whisper.

"Her men slew my husband in the streets before my eyes, staining our daughter with his blood." She squeezed her eyes shut, her stomach churning at the memory. "She's the one who ordered the death of my daughter – claimed it was _necessary_. That she needed to purify her home of the –" Mako choked on the words but spit them out through gritted teeth "– the _demon spawn._ "

The room had gone absolutely silent, every eye watching the young mother as she struggled to breathe past her pain.

"She then threatened to throw my infant son from the castle parapets unless I served and bowed to her every whim."

Ahim approached Mako on soft feet, carefully placing a gentle hand on her shoulder so as not to startle or alarm her, but unable to deny the need to comfort her all the same.

Mako swallowed past the nausea, breathed through the grief and opened her eyes to face the plundering captain once more. Her face was fierce; her eyes as unforgiving as the craggy mountain peaks that surrounded the kingdom.

" _No_ ," she bit out. "That woman is no relation of mine, and I would appreciate the gesture to _never_ hear the suggestion again."

Marvelous watched Mako for a long moment before inclining his head to her. "My sincerest apologies, I will not make the same mistake twice."

Ahim smiled softly at Marvelous, her eyes kind as she gave Mako's shoulder a gentle squeeze in support.

Mako's shoulders sagged in a sudden exhaustion, her rush of anger leaving her hollow. "Why do you care?"

He gave a careless shrug, moving to lounge back in his chair as if it was the king's throne. "I don't care about you in particular," he admitted even as his eyes sparked with mischief. "I do, however, have an interested party who does."

Mako's suspicions increased tenfold as she watched a smirk make its way across the man's face. She raised an eyebrow in silent question, refusing to play into his games.

Marvelous' eyes flashed in amusement at her daring as he settled his elbows on his knees, tenting his fingers before him. "I believe the name Shiba should ring a bell or two."

Mako stilled. Had Kaoru sent for her already?

Her heart skipped a beat in a sudden thrill of elation and intense relief, but she pushed aside her emotions to eye the captain coolly, warning herself not to get her hopes up. "Anyone who knows my name could claim the same. As you yourself have pointed out, my story is well-known." She crossed her arms over her chest and challenged the man in front of her. "What proof do you have?"

Marvelous turned to his second-in-command and exchanged a smirk. "We were warned you'd be cautious. Smart lass," he complimented her before nodding to a light-haired man standing beside Joe. "A concerned party convinced us to hear their story and offered proof of their claim, knowing you would need more convincing than the word of a rogue."

The captain's spy stepped toward Mako, making her tense on instinct, but Ahim's reassuring hand never left her shoulder and Mako fought the urge to take a step back. The light-haired young man held out his hand and in a flash of fingers was dangling a bright, silvery medallion between them, suspended in the air by a well-worn leather chord.

Mako squinted at it in confusion at first, her fingers reaching out to touch the small warm circle of metal, feeling its light weight drop into her palm as the man released it to her. It looked familiar though she couldn't place it at first. It appeared to be nothing more than a forgotten trinket with a deep line scratched along one side until her fingers smoothed over the back and Mako felt her heart stop.

Breathing slowly, fighting to keep a disinterested façade in place, Mako turned the coin over and nearly felt her knees give out. Feeling the tremble in her companion's body, Ahim braced the young woman, frowning in concern at the look on Mako's face.

It wasn't a throw-away piece of metal as Mako had first assumed. On the back was an engraving.

An engraving of a small flower, one that could be mistaken for a bird in flight.

" _Habenaria radiate,"_ she whispered, too low for anyone else to hear. " _Sagiso._ " She heard the word echo in her mind; a memory from the past, one that still shined brightly in a time when she thought her world could get no darker.

Mako grasped the silver medallion tightly in both hands, attempting and failing to keep them from shaking at the overload of emotions that were now tumbling through her. "Who –?"

"A young man by the name of Shiba, as I have already stated." Marvelous waved his hand toward her airily, but his tone was not unkind.

"He's alive?" Disbelief and aching hope warred for dominance inside as she waited with bated breath, terrified of the answer.

"As I live and breathe before you now."

Mako blinked once. Twice. Three times before her legs gave out and she sat on the ground with a soft _thump_ , startling the young woman who had been trying to hold her steady. Mako's hands were white from the tight grip she held on the small metal disc she clutched close to her chest, head bowed as curtains of dark hair hid her face.

"Ms. Mako? Are you okay?" Ahim was immediately on her knees beside Mako, Gai not far behind as the two exchanged alarmed looks of concern. She gently drew aside Mako's hair, tucking it behind one ear to see her lips moving fervently. Ahim's concern softened into a smile as she caught the fervent murmurs of gratitude. With the rapid change of languages she was using, Ahim guessed that she was thanking all the benevolent names she knew in the heavens.

Mako flipped the small medallion over and over in her fingers, unable to look away from the familiar symbol.

On the journey from her homeland to his, she had urged Takeru to get rid of the reminder of their darker past, but he had surprised her by insisting on keeping it. He had told her it was a token of the struggles they'd overcome, and now symbolized their strength, freedom and love. He had never removed it, and none outside their immediate circle of friends and family even knew of its existence.

Ryunosuke too had kept his, but Mako had no doubt that this particular pendant belonged to Takeru – the line carved into the side had to be from when the man in the alley had tried to cut him down, leaving him to bleed out upon the dirt as they'd dragged her away.

It appeared that her pendant was continuing to protect those dear to her even now.

She looked up at the man studying her reaction with a mix of empathy and amusement. "Where –?"

"Close."

"I can't –?"

"Not tonight, no. They are resting; it was a long, hard journey as you well remember, and you must return soon before you are missed. Doc would only be able to hold off inquires for so long should anyone come looking." He nodded toward Joe who disappeared through the other side of the curtains to check that the coast was clear for their departure.

"Don't worry, Princess," he consoled her as her features fell. "I'm sure they will be in contact with you shortly. It would be tempting fate to sneak a foreign warlord into the castle under the king's very nose, but one of the others might be more manageable for an opening act." He turned contemplative as Gai helped Mako back up to her feet, bracing her by the elbows until she was steady.

Mako warmly welcomed the comforting weight of her son as Ahim slid him back into her arms. He had yet to make a sound, and she drew back the blankets to see his peacefully sleeping face. She bit back a weary smile.

Her emotional state had just slipped into a crashing whirlwind, while he slumbered peacefully, oblivious to the enormity of the moment.

She glanced over as Ahim made her way back over to her brother and his fiancée to exchange hurried words and long embraces. Mako looked away with a pang of envy, scolding herself for the bite of jealousy when she should be grateful her family was alive. She would see them again soon enough.

"He's a cutie," a voice piped up from beside her and Mako looked over to see Marvelous' spy quietly peeking at the tiny, dreaming face.

"Thank you," Mako returned his disarming grin with a small smile.

"I wanted to apology," he started, his tone hesitant as he raked a hand through his hair. "We kinda dumped the notice about your kid's birth on your family. They weren't exactly thrilled to hear about how he arrived in the world."

Mako grimaced, pushing away the turbid, painful memories. "I'm glad they weren't here to witness it," she admitted quietly. "I'm afraid I acted rather shamefully."

Gai shrugged. "Given the circumstances, I think you've done fairly well. I doubt I could have." He shuddered at the thought.

Mako smiled her gratitude as Joe slipped back into the room, signaling that it was time to leave.

"Take care, Princess," Marvelous called as Luka enveloped Ahim in one last tight embrace. "I dare say we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Please, call me Mako."

"Mako it is then," he grinned. "What is it?" He asked when she hesitated.

"I was just wondering," she paused, unsure how to phrase her question politely. "What is it that you get out of all this, Captain? I understand your involvement as far as Ahim is concerned, by why agree to help my family? What will that help you to achieve?"

Marvelous grin was lethal as he answered. "They're going to help us obtain the greatest treasure in the world, of course."

Mako nodded in acceptance of the answer but didn't press; unsure she wanted to hear an explanation of it. She turned to follow in Ahim's footsteps where the young woman now hovered by Joe's side.

"Wait."

Mako paused, looking back at the auburn-haired woman standing beside her captain.

Luka was leaning casually against Marvelous' mock throne. She glanced at the child in Mako's arms briefly before focusing on her nails as if they held her supreme interest.

"He says to call the child 'Eiji.'"

Mako's heart skipped a beat in her chest as she blinked openly at the woman whose very posture suggested nonchalance. And then she smiled.

 _Mako awoke at the soft press of lips against her temple, her blurry eyes taking a moment to focus on the person beside her._

" _Takeru," she breathed on an exhausted but happy exhale._

" _You did it," he whispered, joy radiating from his features, even as his eyes shown with an intense relief._

 _She smiled softly up at her husband, love expanding in her chest. While the birth of their second child had been immensely easier than their first, she feared it had left a permanent trace of fear that would never be fully erased._

" _Are you okay?" He asked when she didn't respond. "Are you in pain? Should I get –?"_

" _I'm fine," she assured him. "Just tired."_

 _His smile grew sheepish. "I'm sorry I woke you."_

 _Mako shook her head, her hand reaching out to clasp his. He squeezed it tightly in his grasp, fingers threading through hers, needing the connection. She looked around the room, her brows furrowing. "Where's Ayako?"_

 _Takeru's smile grew. "They're watching her – she fell asleep waiting."_

 _A quiet noise sounded from the warm bundle of blankets in tucked in the crook of Takeru's elbow, and they both looked at the tiny arm that fought its way out from the wrappings._

 _Mako reached over, allowing the clenched fist to latch onto her finger, reassurance sweeping through her at the firm grip._

" _He's strong," Takeru murmured._

" _Just like his father," Mako smiled, happy tears gathering in her eyes as she watched her husband and son, wondering what she must have done in a past life to deserve this happiness._

" _What will we name him?" Takeru asked, breaking into her thoughts._

" _Did you have a name in mind?"_

 _Takeru shook his head, shifting his son into his mother's arms as he began to emit quiet sounds of protest. "I named Ayako," he reminded her. "It seems only fair that you name him."_

 _Mako's gaze wandered out the open door at the last strong rays of sunshine lighting up the garden, warming the bamboo that swayed gently on the summer breeze. She glanced down at her son's face as he moved to nuzzle against her chest and smiled. She met Takeru's patient gaze. "What do you think about 'Takeshi'?"_

" _Takeshi?" Takeru tried the name, his hand brushing back his son's dark tuft of hair. He nodded. "I like it."_

 _Mako's smile grew. "Takeshi it is then."_

 _Takeru chuckled. "Are we going to do this with every child? Take turns naming them?"_

 _Mako raised a brow in his direction. "Are we already planning to have another one?"_

 _He laughed and kissed her soundly on the top of her head. "I think that's a conversation best saved for when you don't have a newborn in your arms." He shifted behind her to brace her back against his chest, his arms wrapping around the two of them gently, holding his wife and child close._

 _Mako relaxed against him with a grateful sigh before turning her head to look up at him with a smile._

 _He leaned over and kissed her forehead with a gentle brush of his lips. "I love you, Mako."_

 _She couldn't stop the smile that blossomed across her face any more than she could stop the sun from rising in the east as his lips captured hers in a tender kiss, enveloping her in his love._

The gentle, beautiful smile that graced her features now left a hush over the room as they glimpsed what had snared the Shiba lord's heart as Mako gazed down at her son and whispered his name to him for the first time.


	9. Meetings

**Author's Note:** It's been a little while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. May you have a happy autumn! Enjoy~ Constructive Criticism is always welcomed.

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Eight: Meetings_

Mako wiped at the sweat gathering on her brow with the back of her wrist, the heat from the kitchen keeping her almost overwarm at times, but she knew there were far worse places to be. Her homeland had been much hotter in the summer, and she had a new empathy for those who had worked in the kitchens there.

Now if only Kamilla would stop coming by to gloat over their reversals in fortune.

It had been the third time in as many days that Kamilla and Mako had crossed paths, and every time they met, the queen seemed to have something cruel and spiteful ready on the tip of her tongue.

This morning's pleasure had been about Eiji; Kamilla had caught sight of the small child on Mako's back, and with a look of disgust had ordered Mako to get the "abomination" out of her sight lest she remove it herself – _permanently_.

It had been with extreme self-control that Mako had bowed her head in acknowledgement, mumbling something about apologies that she didn't mean as she watched the self-satisfied smile light upon the queen's lips. She'd watched, fingers clenching into white-knuckled fists, as the other woman sauntered up the hall, crimson velvet gown trailing after her.

Mako's grip on the wooden spoon in her hand tightened at the memory, causing her to push it through the sauce she was stirring a little too hard, splashing it over the rim of the pot.

"Gently," a voice sounded in her ear. "Too hard and it splashes, too little and it'll bubble over."

Mako froze, heart hammering in her chest. _She knew that voice._

"Just like this," the familiar voice continued, a hand swimming into view as it grasped hers and skillfully showed her how to stir with clean, smooth strokes. Her hand began trembling under his. "Careful," he warned under his breath. "You'll draw attention."

" _Genta_ ," her voice came out on a whisper, not daring to turn around lest she make a grievous mistake.

"I know," he murmured, giving her shoulder a light squeeze with his free hand.

"Thank you for your help," the warm voice of the head cook rang out cheerfully as she bustled over, swiping at straggling hairs dancing about her face. She beamed at Genta. "You've been a blessing."

Genta grinned amiably back. "I just know my way around food."

The woman patted him on the arm in camaraderie. "It was more than just that," she assured him. "With Lila out sick I didn't know what I was going to do until you showed up. Her Majesty wouldn't have been pleased if we'd had to serve her meals late."

"You seem to have a lot of help," Genta looked around the bustling, warm room with a trained eye.

"We have the hands," the woman admitted. "Some are just a little newer to the craft."

Mako flushed, but the cook laid a comforting hand on her arm. "You're doing just fine, dear," she assured her, eyes snagging on the metal ring around Mako's neck. "You have your hands full as it is." She patted her on the back once more before turning to answer a call across the kitchen.

Genta snagged the woman's attention as she made to move toward the caller. "What would you like me to start on next?"

"Remove that pot from the heat – it should be ready now. Then the pair of you can begin preparing the vegetables." She nodded to the pile on Mako's right, hesitating for a brief moment before tugging Genta aside. "I'd appreciate it if you would look after her," she nodded toward Mako who was busy shifting the pot off the flames. "We do our best," she glanced around the noisy place but lowered her voice all the same. "But there's a few who have it out for her." She frowned. "The poor girl's been through enough."

"I'll keep an extra eye on her," Genta promised solemnly, knowing it would be easy enough to keep his word. The cook smiled her thanks before hurrying off.

Genta selected a pair of knives from the block, handing one to Mako hilt first, and adjusting her grip to better cut her vegetable with clean even strokes. "That's right," he encouraged after watching her for a moment. "Just like that." He turned to his own pile, sweeping a discreet glance over her as he did so.

"That's a shiny bit of hardware," he commented, making sure to keep his voice even and only mildly interested.

Mako's lips thinned. "It marks me for my new status under their Majesties' passed judgment." Her blade came down a little harder than she intended. "I'm to pay for my crimes," she elaborated when his brows scrunched together in confusion.

"Crimes," he deadpanned. "What kind of trouble could you have gotten into already to warrant marked servitude?"

"According to the charges, it was my hand in bringing about Aduro's downfall and the death of her ruler."

"Someone has an axe to grind, huh?" Genta's smile was grim. He glanced at the metal ring with a quirk of his eyebrow. "Silver?"

Mako allowed a half-shrug of her shoulders. "I suppose it's their way of mocking me."

"By singling you out? Or so they can say that it was merely a trinket of adornment should someone offer to ransom your safe return?"

"Both, I believe." She swept her gaze around the kitchen, checking to ensure there were no curious ears tilted their way before shifting closer to Genta. "There's another," she told him. "She wears an identical one."

Genta's expression was unamused. "And what's her crime?"

"She once told me it was more akin to a balance of power – a way to keep her family in check or have them die trying to even the score." She bit her lip, eyes darting about the room, her heart hammering in her chest. "Is he really –?"

"He's fine," Genta murmured, keeping his voice pitched so only she could hear, using the noise of the kitchen to cover his words from others. "Still healing, but he'd be damned if he was going to be left behind." He shot her a quick grin that lifted her own lips in response. He chuckled, turning his eyes back to the task at hand. "Not that I would've tried to stop him – not with _that_ look on his face." He frowned as he worked at digging out a particularly stubborn knot from the brown root he held in his hand.

"Kaoru wasn't thrilled about it, but she had a hard enough time keeping him still long enough that he wouldn't recklessly reopen his wound and accidentally kill himself. She even threatened to tie him down at one point, something Ryunosuke promised to help her with. I think that's what finally got him to wait, even though it about killed him; as badly as Ryunosuke wanted to tear after you himself, he was willing to wait for Take-chan to be able to make the journey too."

He watched her dash away stray tears with quick flicks of her fingers. "Careful," he warned. "Those onions will get you every time."

"So I've heard." Mako's smile was fragile but real all the same. "Takeshi?"

"Misses his mother something fierce; Kotoha's had her hands full keeping him occupied."

"How is she?" Mako worked to keep her tone light and even, despite how desperate she was for news.

"She and the baby are fine," Genta assured her, gathering his cuttings into a neat pile and reaching for the next. "She had another little girl," he answered her next question before she could ask. "She's mad as hell at being left behind, but Chiaki put his foot down when she thought she'd be riding out only a week after giving birth. She tried to claim that she'd be fine, that it was in her blood."

"Her mother did come from a great horse tribe," Mako reminded him, her smile soft at the thought of her sister. She'd never realized nor appreciated just how stubborn her family could be when given half a chance. It was nearly enough to make her anxious about when her children reached their adolescent years.

She didn't realize her hand had smoothed across the surface of her flat belly until she caught Genta turning away from the movement with a wince.

"Heard you'd had your little one," he murmured, his voice tinged with remorse.

"Yes," Mako returned softly, the bittersweet memories washing over her. "Right after I arrived."

"I'm sorry." The apology was as soft as a whisper and just as filled with guilt.

Mako concentrated on the sharp blade of her knife as it passed through the leafy greens in her hands. "I'm grateful, in a way," she admitted after a quiet moment. "He's given me something to hang on to – to focus on. Only…"

"Only?" Genta prompted when she trailed off.

Mako exhaled quietly. "Kamilla – Almanzor's wife – She's not afraid to threaten harm if I don't comply to her every whim – threats she would all too readily carry out just to watch…"

"Watch it destroy you," Genta finished for her, his expression darkening. "We'd heard the rumors of Almanzor's new queen, but it's hard to believe someone could go so far as to harm a child just to watch someone else suffer."

"You're forgetting where she and I were raised," Mako muttered.

"You didn't turn out like that."

"Ryunosuke and his mother made sure I was as far removed from it as possible, and I did the same with Kotoha," Mako shrugged.

"Knew you kept him around for a reason," Genta grinned and Mako couldn't suppress her own small one in return, heart aching at the familiar teasing.

Genta gave a discreet glance around them. "Speaking of squalling family, where _is_ the little guy?"

"Ahim – my friend, the one with the matching band – is watching him for me for a few hours." Mako smiled. "She's grown rather attached to him, I think."

Genta was quiet for a moment before he spoke again. "You trust her?"

"Yes," Mako's reply was simple but laced with a subtle warning. He nodded, accepting her answer without another word and they continued the task at hand in silence, the hiss and bubble of multiple pots and pans filling in the space around the other conversations and shouted orders in the warm kitchen.

"I'm happy to see you, Genta."

"Likewise," Genta's smile was as wide as it was sincere.

"Hey, Mako," another voice swept in as a man with curling blonde hair passed by tying an apron around his waist. "Looks like they took you off pot-stirring duty."

"Only under careful supervision," Mako nodded toward Genta still at her side. "He's been instructed to keep a close eye on me."

Genta blinked, startled that she had overheard the conversation he'd had with the head cook. He kept a rueful smile in check – he'd forgotten how quick she was.

"You must be the new help; I'd heard they'd hired a new hand this morning," the man turned to Genta with an amiable smile. "I'm Don Dogier."

"Genta," Genta returned with a disarming smile of his own, brushing a hand off on his pants before grasping the other man's in greeting. If Don noticed the lack of a surname, he didn't mention it as he turned to scan the pile of vegetables the pair had conquered.

"Ahim's calling for you," Don turned to Mako with a satisfied nod at the progress. "I think your son's hungry."

"Eiji."

Don blinked in confusion.

"His name," Mako's smile grew in response to Genta's. "My son's name is Eiji."

"I think Eiji's hungry," Don amended, missing the exchange.

"I'll go check on him. Thank you, Don," Mako said as she brushed her hands off on her own apron before excusing herself to go ask the head cook for a brief respite. The two men watched her leave before turning to the other with an probing glance.

"You know Mako?" Don asked with a feigned casual interest.

Genta nodded. "I was introduced to her by your head cook."

Don studied him, unable to detect a lie in the other man's face or tone. This was more of Gai's thing than his, but Marvelous had given him strict instructions to keep an eye on _any_ one trying to get close to Mako Shiba.

"She has a child," Don told him, hoping it would be enough to deter the man's interest.

Genta grinned in response. "So I heard. His name's Eiji, I believe."

Don sighed gustily, giving up all pretense of stealth – it wasn't his forte. "Don't bother her," he told the other man with a bluntness that apparently only amused him. "She has more than enough to worry about." He gave a sudden cry of alarm as one of the girls tried to add the wrong ingredient to a dish, and he rushed over to catch her before they were forced to start all over.

"Yeah," Genta murmured with a grimace as he turned to gather all the vegetables he and Mako had cut into a bowl. "I heard about that one, too."

Mako had thinned out, almost alarmingly so for one who'd just had a child, and there were shadows in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Genta sighed heavily, already predicting how Takeru was going to react to the news.

* * *

Mako shifted Eiji's sling as he snuggled closer to her back with a quiet sound. Ahim looked over with a smile as they moved down the hall. "He is beginning to move around more," she observed.

"He's curious," Mako agreed. "Pretty soon that curiosity will lead to him shoving things into his mouth."

"He seems to have discovered that with his hand." Ahim worked to stifle her laughter as Mako sighed.

"His hand today, my hair tomorrow," she muttered with exasperation. She watched with interest as one of the housemaids scuttled past with a look of trepidation in her eyes. Mako frowned. "What has her spooked?"

Ahim watched the woman go, her lips pressed together in concern. "The physicians arrived this morning." She caught Mako's confused look and elaborated. "They are to stop at the castle periodically to check on Her Majesty's condition."

"Condition?" Mako's brows furrowed. "Is she sick?"

Ahim shook her head, eyes darting about the hall before she leaned closer to Mako's ear, dropping her voice as she did so. "The King and Queen have failed to conceive over the entirety of their union. She becomes more distraught over this dilemma with each passing year."

So Kamilla was having difficulty producing an heir. That was an interesting tidbit of information. Mako made sure to keep her face carefully blank. "Why should that make others fearful of her?"

"Her Majesty has a bit of a temper," Ahim tried to explain as delicately as possible. "Those in the resulting vicinity suffer along with her at the disappointing news."

"Yes," Mako's voice soured. "That sounds like the Kamilla I know."

Ahim glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "Did you know Her Majesty well?"

Mako contemplated the question. "Better than she would wish, I think, despite my best efforts."

Her eyes narrowed. "Speak of Malevolence and she shall come," she muttered as a figure came into view in the distance, her face white with rage. Ahim tensed as she caught sight of the woman, coming to a full halt in the hallway to press herself up against the wall, her eyes cast upon the floor. With great reluctance Mako too moved against the wall, but chose to watch Kamilla's approach, her face carefully blank.

Kamilla's heels clacked against the stone floors in time to her furious gait, her expression dark and tinged with a hint of sorrow and desperation. Mako might have felt pity for the woman at one time, but now she only watched as a hard cold knot formed in her stomach at the memory of all Kamilla had done.

The queen was so caught up in her own thoughts that she may have passed Mako and Ahim without even realizing they were there if not for Eiji's ill-timed gurgle of delight as he gummed his fist.

Kamilla froze at the sound, eyes locking on the pair of women, surprise than a hot, stinging envy spiking through her.

Ahim went pale, her fists clenching together where they rested clasped together in front of her waist. She shot Mako a fearful look, but the young mother held Kamilla's gaze, her face as stoic as ever.

Kamilla's eyes narrowed in hatred. "So, you're still dragging the filthy little mutt around with you everywhere, are you?" When she didn't get a reaction, Kamilla's jaw clenched, her hands fisting at her sides as she stewed in her fury and frustration. "When your queen asks a question, you are to answer, _Sister_."

"I believe you merely made an observation, Kamilla," Mako answered back, her tone even. "My son is here, yes. Rest easy in knowing that your eyesight has yet to fail you."

"It's ' _Your Majesty'_ ," Kamilla hissed.

Mako pinned the other woman with a disdainful stare. "As you keep insisting on referring to me so familiarly, Kamilla, I thought you would appreciate the same courtesy." Mako's head snapped to the side from the blow of the queen's slap. She met Kamilla's furious gaze with apparent apathy, her cheek stinging.

"You're playing a dangerous game," Kamilla warned, her tone deadly. "One that you will lose, I promise you that. I once told you to be wary and watch your back, did I not? That next time it would take more than a flimsy scarf to the hide damage." She stepped closer and into Mako's personal space.

"I won't kill you," she breathed. "Not yet. I will watch your suffering with great joy and satisfaction first." She glanced at the child strapped to Mako's back, a thrill of delight running through her when Mako stiffened at the action. "I can do to your son what I had done to your husband and daughter, and I would sleep well at night besides."

"You," she pinned Ahim with a glare. "Take the brat and keep it out of my sight. If I catch so much as a glimpse of it again, I promise it will be the _last_ time." She turned back to Mako with a poisonous smile. "As for you, _Sister_ , I think your day would best be spent on your hands and knees as you think upon, and repent your words and deeds. The front hall needs to be scoured. You are not to rest until it is _spotless_. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, your Majesty," Ahim murmured, dipping a curtsey right on cue.

Mako's features were pale from the combination of the terror she felt for her son and her anger at Kamilla's casual dismissal of Takeru and Ayako's lives.

A smile slid across Kamilla's face at the fury she saw in Mako's. "Your queen asked a question," she reminded her in a deceptively soft tone.

"I understand," Mako murmured, sinking into a shallow curtsey.

With a satisfied smirk Kamilla continued down the hall, her steps lighter than they had been before.

Ahim watched her go with a slow exhale of breath. "You should not challenge her. She is not the forgiving sort."

"I am aware," Mako responded, her voice quiet but hard, fingers reaching up to rub at where the silver ring was chaffing at the skin around her neck. "However, she is not as powerful as she believes. Her hubris will be her downfall, I assure you." She met Ahim's inquiring gaze with a hard one of her own. "Between your family and mine, we will make sure she learns that lesson – _thoroughly_."

Ahim felt her spirits lift at the other woman's confidence, amazed at the change that had come over Mako now that she knew her husband had survived and her family had come for her. Her eyes landed on the child strapped to Mako's back and felt her smile falter. "What about Eiji? I fear he is no longer safe here."

Mako shifted the sling until she was cradling her son in her arms. "He never really was," she reminded her softly before sighing. "But in challenging Kamilla so directly, I think I endangered him more." A frown touched her lips. "What mother risks the safety of her children like that?" She looked up at the touch of Ahim's hand on her arm.

Ahim spoke with earnest as she watched doubt creeping across her friend's face. "One who is willing to save so many from merciless tyrants."

Mako gave her a rueful smile in return. "My reasons are not that lofty; I just want to keep my family forever beyond Almanzor and Kamilla's grasp."

"It leads to the same end," Ahim smiled. Her head tilted to the side as she considered Mako for a long moment, a plan forming in her head. "Ms. Mako?"

"Yes?"

"You agree that it is no longer safe for your son here, correct?"

Mako's arms tightened around her child as she nodded. "Yes." Her voice was soft, tinged with regret.

"What if –?" Ahim scanned the halls before drawing closer to the other woman despite being alone in the hall. "What if we spirited him out?"

Mako blinked in response, startled at the suggestion.

"I can send word to my brother," Ahim continued, voice quiet but urgent. "We can smuggle Eiji out of the castle and into a safe home. Luka is well-versed in caring for younger children," she rushed to assure Mako before she could protest. "She has many contacts throughout the city – they will care for his every need until the danger has passed.

"He won't be found," she promised, running a gentle finger across his cheek. A soft smile tugged at her lips as his eyes followed the motion, one tiny arm trying to grasp her hand in his. "We will keep him safe." She met Mako's eyes with a fierce determination. "I swear we will keep your son safe, Ms. Mako."

Mako studied her friend for a long, quiet moment as she warred with herself; the promise of safety for her child was as overwhelming as the thought of letting him go to do so. She looked at her son, meeting his dark, curious eyes, heart breaking as he smiled at her and reached for her face. Mako pressed a tender kiss upon his crown as tiny fists patted her face with a delighted gurgle.

Tears swam in her eyes as she gently tugged the hair he had snagged out of his grasp and met Ahim's patient gaze.

"Okay," she agreed at last, her voice thick. "Send word to your brother, but on one condition." Ahim's head tilted to the side in question. "I'd like Eiji to meet his father first before he goes into hiding."

Ahim's smile was gentle as she nodded. "Of course."

* * *

"Ms. Mako," Ahim kept her voice soft as she laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's time." She watched as tears filled the young mother's eyes, lines of stress drawn over every inch of her features.

As soon as Marvelous had received Ahim's message, he'd set her fledgling plan into action. Within a few days everything had been set and ready, but even the knowledge that her son was being passed into his father's arms hadn't made the idea of separation any easier for Mako.

Ahim waited patiently as Mako held her child close for one last brief moment, whispering something fervent and tender in his ear before handing him to Ahim who gently lay him inside a sturdy wicker basket, covering him with several warm blankets.

Ahim reached over and embraced the trembling mother. "We'll keep him safe, I swear it."

Mako could only nod in response, tears making their way down her cheeks, using every last ounce of her will to keep from snatching her son back. With a tremendous effort she wrenched her gaze away from the sight, arms curling up to hug her middle. " _Go_." Her voice was a broken whisper.

On quiet footsteps Ahim slipped out the door, basket in hand, her heart breaking at the muffled sob that escaped before the door shut firmly behind her.

She walked at a sedate pace, wanting to attract the least amount of attention possible as she moved through the castle, sticking to the hidden pathways until she emerged into the controlled chaos of the kitchens.

After a quick glance around her she spotted Doc's mop of curly hair bobbing amongst the others. As some of the staff called out a morning greeting her way he looked up and caught her eye. With a discreet nod he began to extricate himself from the crowd and subtly wandered in her direction.

For her part, Ahim carefully set the basket down at her feet just beneath the long wooden counter, rolling up her sleeves and pulling over a lump of dough that she began kneading with quick, firm movements. If anyone noticed that her knuckles were white with strain, no one commented.

"Morning, Ahim," Don greeted with a smile that Ahim returned. He gave her a few quick directions for what he wanted done with the dough before moving on, basket in hand.

As he moved around the kitchen, giving a few bits of advice or directions, he picked up other scattered baskets and lay them near the open doorway where a steady stream of people passed in and out, bringing in armloads of fresh supplies for the day.

He exchanged a quick, subtle glance with an auburn-haired woman as she swung in through the door, large basket in hand. She sashayed past him to set her burden down on a table, batting her eyelashes at the man who received her goods. Don concentrated on stacking the empty baskets into neat piles, placing the one with its precious cargo on top.

"Aren't those baskets ready yet?" An annoyed feminine voice sounded from behind him and Don turned to see Luka with her hands on her hips, fully ignoring the lingering glances of the man behind her.

Don let out an exasperated sigh. "Yes, they're ready."

He turned to pick up the nearest stack. "As impatient as ever," he mumbled.

"Have something to say there, Doc?" Luka's eyes narrowed at the blond.

"No, no, not at all," he assured her, inserting just the right amount of timidity in his voice as she glared back. "Here you go."

Luka snatched the baskets out of his hands with a few choice mutters under her breath before stomping out the door.

A large hand landed on Don's shoulder, making him jump. He turned to see the man Luka had been flirting with grinning down at him.

"She's a firecracker, isn't she?"

Don shook his head. "She's a little scary."

The man laughed. "A little bit of that too." He patted Don on the shoulder before turning back to his work, and Don worked to get his heartbeat back under control.

Outside, Luka made her way toward the row of carts, sidestepping out of the way of people laden with full hands as she headed for the one with stacks of already empty crates and baskets. Carefully she nestled her burden down inside the cart before swinging herself up beside it and settling down among the supplies.

"All set," she called over her shoulder to the driver of the cart, his long dark hair stirring in the breeze. With a nod he flicked the reins and began guiding the horse out of the bustling area, mindful of the bodies pressed around them. Slowly they moved past the gates and out into the open lanes, Luka swinging her legs and humming a tune from the back, one arm subtly holding a particular stack of baskets steady as they headed back to the market.

They passed through checkpoints with relative ease, the guards on duty sparing no more than a passing glance at the empty containers, hiding yawns behind gloved hands as they stomped their feet to keep warm in the chill morning air.

As they neared the market, Joe directed the horse out of the way of the early crowds, easing his way into a tight corner where several other carts already stood by, their contents being hurriedly emptied by waiting hands.

Luka jumped out of the cart almost before it had stopped moving and grabbed the first stack. With quick, sure steps she headed to the back of the establishment's door, stepping easily inside and making for an empty area in a back corner. As she set her armful down she quickly scanned the room before, satisfied no one was watching, she switched out the top basket with another tucked behind several tall kegs. She sent a quiet prayer that the child would continue to keep quiet just a little longer before slipping back out to help Joe empty the rest of the cart.

When the task was finished, Joe flicked the reins once more and began to move out without another glance back as Luka turned with a smile at the sound of her name.

"Finished already, dear?" Luka called as a familiar face rounded the corner waving his hand enthusiastically over his head.

"Not yet," Gai answered as he drew near. "But they let me take a break a little earlier today. Are you ready to go?"

"Just let me gather my things." Luka slipped back in the door, calling to the proprietor that she had finished for the morning, she fetched the wicker basket from its resting spot and returned to Gai's side back out in the sunshine. With a sweet smile she threaded her arm through his, and they made for the market.

They took their time, stopping at various stalls to admire the goods, and purchasing a couple of fresh pastries that steamed in the cold air.

Luka's heart tripped when a quiet cry came from inside the basket dangling from the crook of her elbow.

"Oh?" The woman behind the stall looked at the bundle wrapped inside. "Have a little one of your own, do you?"

"Yes," Luka smiled, allowing a flush to cover her cheeks as she dropped her gaze demurely. "Our first."

The woman beamed at the couple before her. "Congratulations!" She scooped up a couple sweet buns and wrapped them to go. "Here," she pressed them into Gai's protesting hands with a firm insistence. He stopped objecting when another muffled cry came from the basket, his eyes darting to it with concern. The woman laughed good-naturedly. "I think your little one might be hungry, too. Be safe and keep warm." She waved a farewell as they strolled away, arm in arm. Luka called her thanks back over her shoulder with a charming smile.

"Do you think we've waited long enough?" She asked out of the corner of her mouth, fluttering her eyelashes as if she were flirting.

Gai leaned closer with a grin in response, his voice low. "It should be safe to begin heading back."

Luka nodded, letting a girlish giggle escape her lips as she leaned into the arm he had wrapped around her shoulders, completing the picture of a young couple out for a morning walk.

Carefully they made their way through the market until they were able to slip into the shadows of an alleyway. From there they made quick work down the dim paths, out of sight of prying eyes until they came upon one of the concealed entrances to the tunnel systems. With a swift glance around, Gai watched their surroundings as Luka dropped inside, basket clutched tight to her chest, and landed on the balls of her face.

"Sorry," she murmured to the child inside as he gave a startled cry from the jolt. Her eyes scanned the shadows, rocking the child with a soothing motion as Gai dropped down beside her. On swift, silent feet they moved through the passageways with ease, never losing their sense of direction in the labyrinth. Soon they came to the familiar sight of a heavy wooden door.

Gai gave the signal before opening the door and bowing Luka through.

Twitching the curtains aside, Luka stepped into the brighter room, her sharp eyes taking in the anxious postures of their allies. She met Marvelous' gaze with a brief nod, and watched the muscles in his shoulders relax, a swift grin lighting upon his features.

"Any trouble?" He asked.

Luka shook her head. "Just like we planned."

"No one suspected a thing?" Another voice piped up and Luka scowled at the tall, lanky man frowning in her direction.

"We've been doing this a long time," she snapped back. "We know what we're doing."

"You make it a habit to smuggle children out of castles?" Another asked, his eyes dancing with mischief.

"When it's profitable," Marvelous answered, relaxing back into his chair. He waved in his guests' direction. "Show 'em the goods, Luka."

Still miffed at the slight, Luka turned instead for the man who had risen halfway out of his seat, anxiety, hope and a touch of longing swirling in his eyes despite his calm façade. She set the basket at his feet before bending down to unearth the now squirming bundle. The little one had been remarkably cooperative along the course of his journey, but it appeared that he now sensed that the time to keep still had passed and wanted his deserved attention.

With a gentleness that belied her sharp tongue, Luka scooped the child into her arms, holding the comforting weight against her chest for a moment as she bounced the child with gentle motions and rose to meet Takeru's anxious gaze.

"It's my honor to present you your son," she told him, her voice kind but quiet. "I'm sorry it couldn't have been your wife doing so instead." She drew the blankets away from the child's face, revealing his features to all those present as they began to crowd in, unable to help themselves.

"Thank you," Takeru murmured, feeling the words weren't quite adequate, but distracted by the sight of his son as Luka slid him into his waiting arms. She stood back, sliding out of the small crowd now that her initial duty was done. She moved to Marvelous' side, perching on the armrest of his chair and started a quick, low conversation as they kept a close eye on the door where Gai stood guard.

"Is he really so big already?" Takeru asked no one in particular. Dark eyes regarded each other with curiosity and wonder as the child's fussing abated.

"A few months'll do that," Chiaki cracked, earning himself a reproachful glare from Ryunosuke.

Takeru adjusted his grip so that his son was now sitting more upright, allowing his curious eyes to dart around the assembled group with fascination. "He looks healthy."

Genta snorted beside him. "Of course he does; as if Mako would let any of her children be anything else."

A bittersweet smile touched on Takeru's lips. "You're right." His expression fell. "If only it were as easy to smuggle her out as it had been for him."

"There was nothing easy about it," Luka called from her seat next to Marvelous, arms crossed over her chest. "If he'd been any bigger it would've been a hell of a lot harder. We were lucky your wife agreed to release him when she did."

"How is Mako?" Takeru's brows knit together in concern as he looked up at the couple on the dais.

Luka looked down at the child in Takeru's arms, unable to meet his eyes. "She knows it's what's best for him."

Takeru looked away, his gut twisting at the thought of what his wife must be going through to now be separated from all of them.

"What will happen to Mako now?" Ryunosuke asked in the momentary silence.

Luka blinked. "Happen?"

"There will be consequences," Marvelous answered. "The longer she can keep your son's absence a secret, the longer she will be safe from their wrath, but yes," he met Ryunosuke's gaze with a firm one of his own. "They _will_ find out."

"She knew what she was doing," Genta reminded Ryunosuke before the man could start spitting accusations. "Kamilla's been angling to inflict more pain on Mako for a while now. The best way she could have done it is through her kid." He gripped Ryunosuke's shoulder firmly. "Mako's tough; she knows we're here and her son is safe. That'll carry her a long way."

"But will it be far enough?" Ryunosuke pressed.

Chiaki looked around at the despairing group. "Maybe we can get someone in there."

"In where?"

"In the castle with Mako."

"You already have Genta helping out in the kitchens," Marvelous pointed out. "The more people you start sneaking in, the harder it will be for them to get out unnoticed or unscathed."

"Then maybe Takeru can go in and –"

" _No_ ," Marvelous refusal was as blunt as it was harsh. "I wouldn't do that until I had no other choice." He met Takeru's gaze. "You're too well-known to be slipping in and out of that court."

Takeru nodded in understanding, shoving away the fleeting spark of hope at seeing Mako. He wanted little more at that moment than to hold her safe in his arms. Absently, he gently tugged Eiji's hand out of his mouth, swiping at the drool that had begun to trail down his chin with a corner of the blanket. Sensing someone's stare, he looked up to meet Luka's amused smile.

"You're a real natural," she observed, resting her chin on her fist. "Guess three kids'll do that to ya."

"It apparently also makes your wife a larger target for your enemies," Ryunosuke muttered darkly.

Takeru shifted uneasily in this chair at the words, a growing dread spreading through his veins.


	10. Struggling to Breathe

**Author's Notes:** I LIVE! And with an extra long chapter to boot. The majority of this chapter has been sitting on my computer for longer than I care to admit. Fortunately I got my act together and finished it. Hopefully you enjoy it and hopefully you won't have to wait nearly as long between chapters. Constructive Criticism is always welcomed!

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Nine: Struggling to Breathe_

" _Where is it?"_

Mako stared past Kamilla as the woman's eyes narrowed in fury.

"Where have you hidden the little rat?" Kamilla demanded, her voice tight, cheeks flushed with rage. "I know you're hiding it somewhere. Where is it?"

"The rats creep in and out of your walls as ever, _Your Majesty_ ," the insult in the title clear. "I did not realize the extent of your pest problem myself until recently. They thrive in disorder and chaos."

"Not the stupid rats, you stupid girl," Kamilla screeched. "That thing you call a child. _Where is it?_ "

Mako looked at her now with raised brows. "Was it not you who instructed me to keep my son out of sight?"

" _Where is it!?_ "

Mako's lips turned up ever so slightly at the corners, inducing a new level of rage in the young queen. "Out of your reach, _Your Majesty._ " Mako was rewarded for her cheek with a slap that raked nails across her face. _But it was worth it_ , she thought as she watched Kamilla fly into a fury.

It was still worth it hours later when her knees, back and wrists ached, her hands raw and throbbing after an entire morning spent scouring the drafty front hallway in punishment. Mako sat back on her heels, rubbing her damp sleeve across her sweaty brow with a sniff before tossing her brush in the wooden bucket by her side. Her limbs were shaking from the exertion, her body shivering as much from the chill as the chore, but it had been well worth the price of keeping her son out of Kamilla's reach, including taunting her of the lost opportunity.

Mako braced her red and chapped hands on her knees, pushing herself to her feet with an effort, rolling her head about her neck in an attempt to loosen the knots that had gathered there as she stood. Grasping the bucket in hand Mako moved down the hall to the kitchen where she would deposit her cleaning supplies. Her stomach gnawed at her, angry that she'd been forced to skip lunch.

 _It was worth it_ , she repeated to herself, ears pricking at the dulcet sounds of Kamilla's shrieks beyond a doorway to her left. Unable to help herself Mako paused to listen, making sure she kept well out of the door's sightline.

"Missing?" Kamilla all but hissed. "How is that – that _mongrel_ missing?"

"We were ambushed, Your Majesty," a reply came, the voice male and uncertain in the face of Kamilla's wrath.

"By who?"

"We d-don't know," a second voice replied, stuttering in its fear. "They came so fast – it was dark –"

"Enough." Kamilla's tone had settled into a stone cold fury, the sharp disapproval and disgust enough to make dread curl even in Mako's stomach. "You're _useless_." There was a snap of her fingers in the echoing silence. "Assign them to target practice." Her voice was as lethal as it was cold and Mako stepped carefully away from the door, stifling the sudden urge to sneeze left she be caught eavesdropping.

Distracted, she didn't realize she wasn't alone until it was too late. Just as Mako had ascertained that she'd backed away far enough from the door, she'd turned and crashed right into the body that had been standing there, waiting for her. Cold hands reached out to steady her as she stumbled.

"I'm so sorry," she gasped. "I didn't see –" The words froze on her lips as she caught sight of the person she'd trodden on.

"Quite alright, my beauty," icy blue eyes shone with a cold, hard gleam as they beheld Mako's whitening parlor. "It's the rare man who turns away the chance to hold one so lovely as you in his arms." Mako felt the blood freezing in her veins as he his eyes raked over her form, rags and all. She knew that look. Had seen it one too many times in the eyes of some of the palace guards in Aduro. "Where is that charming child of yours, my dear?"

"Safe," Mako managed to breathe out, the word squeezing from her lungs. "If you'll excuse me, Sire, I have chores to complete." She tried to tug herself free from his grip but his fingers only flexed harder into her arms, biting into her skin. She knew better than to wince.

"Now, now," he admonished. "One doesn't turn their back on the king without his permission."

"I understand, but it was your wife herself who assigned me to –"

"Am I not the queen's husband? The king of this land?"

"Yes, Sire."

"Then why should her words or desires trump mine?" He shook her slightly in answer, his teeth bared. "They _don't_ , that's how. _I_ am the lord of this land and castle. It is _my_ words and desires that reign supreme. And do you know what it is I desire?" Mako shook her head, trying in vain to loosen his grip on her. Fingers bit into her skin hard enough to bruise as he drew her closer, his voice dropping to whisper in her ear. " _Heirs_ ," he told her. "How is a king to rule without a son to leave it to when he is done?"

"Your wife –"

"Has tried for over half a decade without success," Almanzor snapped, his anger as quick as his temper. A grin blossomed across his face as he studied her. "But you, little desert flower, you seem to be well fertile, don't you? You have birthed plenty of children for that backwards little spit of land they call a kingdom, haven't you?"

"I am not a ruler," Mako pressed. "My children are not heirs –"

"Oh but they are," he cut across her negations. "So long as your princess remains unwed and without children of her own."

Mako blinked at the words. A part of her had realized this, of course, but Kaoru was young and hale with plenty of vying suitors – she could even take on concubines if she wished! Mako hadn't spent more than a passing thought to it when her children were born. She and Takeru had had children from a desire to have a family, not to continue a bloodline or rule. A blossom of anger budded in her chest and Mako glared at the man before her. "Kaoru will have a long and lasting rule, a mantel that _her_ children will one day take over, and neither you nor any other power will take that away from her."

"Not even for the life of her beautiful sister-in-law?" A long cold finger traced down the side of Mako's face setting the lines Kamilla had raked into her face to flame, but Mako didn't flinch as she stared the man down. "What if her dear sister were to have a child from another line? Say, mine? Would she not then have to include such a babe in the line of her possible heirs should something tragically befall her and hers?"

Mako snapped her head away from his icy touch, the pale blue eyes sparking at her fire like ice moving beneath frozen waters. She thought of Takeru and her daughter, the sharp pain of their loss was like a knife in her heart and lungs. "Have you not hurt my family enough?" Her voice was a whisper as she worked to breathe around the stabbing pain.

"Oh, not nearly enough," Almanzor answered in a low, soothing voice. He caught her chin in a bruising grip. "I never spared a thought for my family when I slit their throats to claim my throne. Why should I give a thought to yours if another seat is within my grasp?" At Mako's sharp inhale of breath he dove in and pressed his thin, hard lips to hers. Mako kicked out her leg on instinct, hearing a satisfying crack as it connected with his kneecap.

With a hiss of rage and pain Almanzor cuffed Mako hard enough against the wall that she saw stars. "Clever little bitch," he snarled, his grin feral. "But it won't stop me from eventually getting what I want."

"It will _never_ be yours," Mako bit back, bracing herself for his retort when the door up the hall opened and Kamilla appeared with a small frown. She looked from Mako, huddled on the floor, to her husband's clear, calm features.

"What is going on out here?"

"The little sneak was skulking outside your doors, eavesdropping upon your conversations, pet," he answered smoothly, moving to her side.

Kamilla glared at Mako with rekindled fury. "Out to the stables with you," she commanded with all the arrogance of her crown. "You will clean the stables until they are spotless – through the night if need be, and without supper. That should teach you to listen in on your betters." She laced her hand through the crook of her husband's offered arm and the two removed themselves down the hallway without a glance back, Mako noting with a triumphant, satisfied smile that Almanzor had the slightest of limps as he did.

 _Worth it._

* * *

"Ms. Mako," Ahim sighed as she stamped her feet in the frigid late afternoon air. "Why do you provoke them so? It only hurts you in the end."

"Better me than some other hapless soul," Mako replied, wincing as the wooden instrument she held rubbed against the blisters on her chapped and raw hands.

"A body can only take so much, and yours has had to endure plenty already." She gave Mako a pointed look as Mako sniffled in the wintry air.

"Especially without meals," Doc pointed out as they the duo trailed Mako back to the stables. "You can't keep going without those."

"I know Mr. Genta will slip you something when you turn in for the night – any of us would – but you need to sit down for proper meals," Ahim agreed, tucking away a smile at Doc's put out expression. He was still a bit sore that no one had thought to inform him about Genta's arrival prior to it complaining that he was always the last to know important information. "Your husband will worry, not to mention your caretaker."

Mako wasn't sure whether she wanted to grimace or laugh at the thought of Ryunosuke's face when they told him, but found she was too exhausted to work up to either one. She paused at the corner of the stable, something unusual catching her eye near the archery range. With a jolt of shock Mako realized that she recognized the bodies riddled with arrows lined up along the targets, their clothes, skins and the ground around them caked in long, trailing patches of scarlet that were slowly drying to darker shades of nightmares.

"It's best not to linger, Ms. Mako," Ahim murmured, averting her eyes from the sight.

"Dead men tell no tales," Doc muttered, cringing away from the sight.

"Except what they whisper in ears at night," a voice answered from behind and the trio whirled around at the sound, Doc fumbling for balance and losing it to fall flat on his bum in the mud.

" _Joe_ ," Ahim admonished, her hand over a heart pounding as much from the fright as the sight of seeing him and she flushed, her cheeks darkening from warmth now instead of the frigid air. "What are you doing here?" She glanced around, already knowing he wouldn't have appeared had there been other eyes to see but doing so out of habit anyways, the last light of day tinging the clouds a rosy hue despite the lack of sunlight that reached the ground.

"Marvelous sent me to check in," he told her quietly, pulling his gaze from hers with more than a little reluctance, his lips thinning as he caught sight of the marks on Mako's face as she struggled to help Doc to his feet.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Doc huffed as he stood, brushing at his pants. When they came away streaked with mud he sighed loudly. "I'm going to go change," he muttered before stalking off toward the kitchen doors. "They'll be looking for me soon enough anyways." He spared a glance back over his shoulder at Ahim. "Don't take too long or they'll come looking for you."

"Thank you," Ahim beamed and Doc turned away with a slight flush, dodging puddles as best he could on his way back inside the castle.

"What happened?" Joe asked, looking to Mako as she turned to continue her way inside the stables.

"I sassed my rulers with great cheek and pleasure," Mako told him, covering a cough with her hand before waving away Ahim's concerned frown and slipping inside the old barn.

"What happened?" Joe repeated the question to Ahim and with a gentle smile she grasped him by the elbow and led him into a more secluded corner to talk, still wary of being seen or overheard.

Mako prolonged her chore of shoveling horse excrement into a bucket as long as she could to allow the couple to talk before she had to go dump it. Stealing outside the worn wooden doors Mako tried not to watch as the tall, dark haired young man tucked a stray lock of Ahim's hair behind her ear, lingering to caress her cheek, Ahim tilting her head into the touch with a tender smile as she gazed up at him with stars in her eyes. Expertly Joe shifted to block Ahim from sight and Mako looked away at the gentle kiss. She shivered at the frigid gust that swept through the courtyard, her gaze drawn to the darkening clouds above just as a light snow began to fall. She thought of the chore she had been set with discouragement – it would take twice as long if she was fighting through the snow and wind, let alone the dark. Mako sneezed then and the young couple jumped apart, startled by the noise.

With a rueful smile, Mako set down her heaping, smelly bucket, rotating her shoulders as Ahim hurried away towards the castle, her cheeks flushed but her grin wide, Joe watching her departing figure until she had shut herself inside the castle's back door.

"Sorry," Mako called with a wave and swore she saw not only a flush but a hint of a smile upon the usually stoic man's face in return as he gave a small nod in return before slipping into the shadows he had emerged from. With a sigh she heaved her bucket in hand, covering a cough with her free one before plodding on, snowflakes gathering in her hair and eyelashes, her stomach growling angrily at her.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Mako shuffled her feet through the snow drifts, the frozen water leaking into her boots, turning her toes into blocks of ice as she tried in vain to pull her cloak tighter around her shoulders. In contrast to the harsh bite of the wind, sweat began rolling down her temples as she continued to make the trek from inside the stables out into the blustery night.

She paused for a moment to catch her breath, wiping her snow dusted sleeve across her face as she looked up at the heavy, dark clouds. The thick flakes tangled in her lashes and Mako's vision blurred. She brushed at them furiously, shaking her head to bring everything back into focus. Unable to allow any more time to catch her breath she shoved her way back into the stables, wincing at the stabbing pain in her chest as she breathed in the frozen air.

Mako grasped the shovel in her hands and pushed at the muck with all the determination she could summon, unable to dispel the cold making her body shake despite being back inside the warmer air. It felt as if the very fingers of winter had slipped through the seams in her clothes and wrapped themselves like a vice around her body, freezing her to her very lungs.

A sharp pain in her side made her gasp before she doubled over in a fit of coughing, hazing her eyes with tears.

"Enough," she panted, propping herself up with the shovel's handle. She pulled her spine straight, brushing back her wet bangs off her damp face and flushed cheeks. With a sniff and another fit of coughing Mako continued filling her bucket and depositing it outside until at last, her chest heaving and her pulse racing rapidly from the exertion she was able to throw her equipment back into its corner.

Exhausted, her last spurt of energy leaving her shaky and chilled down to her marrow, Mako shuffled her feet across the stable floor. Bracing herself with a grimace and another round of coughing, she shoved the door open weakly and stepped into the biting air for the last time.

Head bowed against the snow that blurred her vision, Mako stumbled toward the promise of warmth from behind the orange glow of the kitchen windows, but to her confusion and frustration every footstep seemed to bring her no closer to the protection of the castle walls than the one before. She hissed at the sudden lancing pain in her side that brought to her knees, the action dissolving into a fit of coughing that she couldn't seem to recover from. Panic made her heart race and her breathing rapid as she desperately tried to fill her lungs with air, memories of another lifetime filling her vision as she felt the ghost of a noose around her neck, choking her.

Her head spinning, Mako's hand struggled to her neck to discover with horror that the snare around her neck wasn't merely a memory. As her fingers slipped desperately over the smooth metal encircled there Mako's vision began spotting until all she could see was the evil grin of her assassin as the world went dark.

She never felt herself hit the ground.

* * *

Genta looked out the snow covered windows with a frown as he mindlessly scrubbed at the dish in his hand.

"Is everything alright, Mr. Genta?"

Genta looked sideways at the young woman at his side as she finished drying her dish and set it on the stack of clean ones for Doc to take away.

"Mako's not back yet," he murmured under his breath.

Ahim's delicate brows furrowed. "Nor did she make it to supper." She met Genta's worried eye as they both looked out at the dark gray world beyond the glass.

"Maybe she's changing into a drier set of clothes?" Doc suggested as he passed, overhearing the last part of the conversation.

"Would she not have returned by now?" Ahim asked, skeptical.

Doc shrugged his shoulders as he balanced the heavy weight of dinnerware in his arms. "She's trying to fight off the beginnings of a cold," he reminded them. "Maybe she decided to go straight to sleep?"

"That's a lot of 'maybes,'" Genta muttered, his instincts ringing alarmingly. "And she would have at least checked in to let us know so we wouldn't worry."

"If her cold got worse…"

Face stony, Genta unlaced his apron in one practiced motion and threw it on the counter as he signaled to one of the girls. "I need to check on something," he explained in a tone that clearly stated he wasn't to be asked any questions. "Could you take over?"

"Of course," the girl nodded.

"I apologize, but I too must see to something," Ahim added. "If you could ask someone to help you, I shall take over their turn next time."

The girl gave Ahim a faint smile, confusion in her eyes but she kept her curiosity to herself. "I'll ask Annabeth," she answered. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Thank you," Ahim smiled warmly. "I truly appreciate it."

"Of course," the girl's green eyes crinkled as she returned the warm smile with one of her own before calling her friend over.

"I'll check the stables," Genta said as he made his way swiftly towards the outer door.

Ahim nodded as she made her way toward the servant's stair. "I shall check the room."

"Wait!" Doc called, trying to catch up to the pair but tripped over a sack of flour on the floor and went tumbling to the ground. With a curse he pushed himself to his feet and raced after Genta, catching up to the other man as he was throwing on his coat left on a stand near the door.

"What should I do?"

"Stay here," Genta replied, wrapping his scarf around his neck and face with quick, precise motions. "If you hear anything or she shows up here before either of us return –"

"I'll come find you."

Genta gave the blond a curt nod, his eyes creased with worry before he braced himself and plunged out into the blustery night, snapping the door shut firmly behind him.

With a chill that had nothing to do with the cold, Genta's eyes raked across the softened white landscape. Holding an arm up in front of his face to ward off the flakes that threatened to coat his lashes, he squinted hard into the darkness, feeling his way through the drifts.

"Mako?" He called, the swift breeze catching his voice and throwing it back at him. "Are you out here?"

He stumbled across objects unseen below the snow as he searched. "Hey, Mako, come on," he tried again. "Where are ya? It's too late for hide and seek, you know."

He clung to the desperate hope that Ahim was now finding Mako fast asleep in her bed back inside as he made his way in the general direction of the stables. "Take-chan'll kill us both if you're still out here," he murmured, cautious despite knowing that no one in their right minds would be outside in this weather.

Spotting the shape of the stables through the flying white flakes, Genta turned toward them, nearly tripping over something half-buried in the snow. With a trill of trepidation, Genta dropped to his knees to inspect the thing closer. Part of him wished desperately that he his eyes were playing tricks on him, but a larger, more insistent part thrummed with a growing dread. Fingers swept aside the growing pile of snow from the lump in the snow and he felt his heart stop when he caught sight of a familiar face.

"Mako," he breathed, color draining from his face as he took in her half-frozen form. "Mako!" He lifted her body into a half-sitting position as he shielded her from the falling snow. " _Mako!_ " He brushed flakes from her face, unsure in that gray, dark world if he was talking to corpse or a body the color of one.

"Hey, Mako, come on." He pulled off a glove with his teeth and felt for a pulse at her neck. Sagging with relief he caught the faint but rapid pulse and gathered her close. "Thank the heavens," he whispered before scooping her up into his arms. He stumbled for a moment, trying to catch his balance, frowning as he realized his load was lighter than it should have been for deadweight. "Hang in there, Mako," he told her. "I've got ya."

As quick as he dared, Genta moved across the grounds, bursting in through the door with a force that startled the young maid walking by, her hand flying to her heart.

"What in the world –!"

"I need you to get Doc," Genta cut in. "Tell him to get any help he can find – _quickly_."

"O-okay," she blinked, uncomprehending until she caught sight of what he was carrying in his arms.

"Is that a _person?_ " A startled voice asked in disbelief as he shifted Mako in his arms.

Ignoring the astonished glances thrown his way, Genta moved towards the nearest servants' staircase and made his way through the castle, nearly slipping in the hallway as his sodden boots lost their tread.

"My, my, where are we off to in such a rush and with such a heavy burden?"

Genta looked up to see the queen watching him with an excited gleam in her eyes as she eyed the figure in his arms.

"Ah," she murmured, her lips curling in amusement. "Has the little upstart gone and done herself in at last?"

Genta shifted the body in his arms, his heart catching at the quietest of noises that escaped.

"I suppose the wretch is still desperately clinging to life, is she?" Kamilla shook her head in exaggerated disappointment, studying Mako with barely concealed anticipation. "But perhaps not for long. She doesn't look like she'll survive long in that state." Her sudden smile was sharp, her eager eyes meeting Genta's furious ones. "If we're lucky, perhaps it won't even be the night."

With a sharp laugh, Kamilla turned on her heel and continued her saunter up the hallway, hips swinging in merriment as her heels clipped along the stone.

Genta stood rooted to the spot for a moment, working to get his fury under control, his blood boiling. What he wouldn't give for an arrow and crossbow right then. Clenching his teeth together, Genta pushed past his anger and began moving again, knowing full well that the charge in his arms was more important than the violence he wished to inflict on the would-be queen, however satisfying it would be.

"Mr. Genta!" A soft voice gasped as he drew closer to Mako's rooms. "What happened? Where did you find her?" Ahim stood back, holding the door open wide, her eyes large and rimmed with worry. "Please lay her on my bed."

"She was out in the snow," Genta told her as he set Mako's body down. "She's not waking up."

Ahim swallowed hard at the anxiety in Genta's tone, his growing fear palpable. "We have to get her out of her clothes," she began, waving her hand towards their shared cupboard. "Please bring me some new clothing; it does not matter which ones so long as they will keep her warm." Her nimble fingers made quick work of wriggling Mako out of her frozen garments. She tossed each piece to the ground into a sopping pile as she managed to get them off, starting when a pair of hands handed her a handful of towels. When she looked at Genta questioningly, he answered with a simple, "we have to dry her off before we put new clothes on."

With a tight smile, Ahim accepted the bundle of material gratefully and began patting Mako's skin off as gently as she could as she peeled off the layers of clothes. Genta flushed when Mako was stripped down to her undergarments but soldiered on in trying to dry off Mako's skin.

"If you would move Ms. Mako's wet clothes from the ground and place them into a basket out in the hall, I shall take care of the rest," Ahim told him gently. "When I have her dressed again we shall move her to her own bed." Genta nodded and did as he was bid, lifting Mako into his arms and shifting her across the room when Ahim called him back over.

It was as they were tucking in the covers around Mako's body that a quick knock sounded at the door. Genta was already on his feet and halfway across the room before the voice on the other side could even speak.

"It's just me!" Doc called. "Let me in."

With faint relief etched across his brows, Genta held the door wide for the other man, his arms laden with everything from extra linens to herbs to a steaming mug of broth. "How is she?" he asked as Genta helped relieve part of the burden.

"Her lips are blue and she is still unconscious, but she is now dry and warming," Ahim reported from the bedside. She looked up at Doc as he moved anxiously to her side. "What should we do next?"

"I'm not _that_ kind of Doctor," he sputtered, waving his hands in front of him rapidly as if to physically ward off her inquiry.

Ahim bit her lip, glancing down at her friend's pale face. "Please send for Joe."

Doc threw her a questioning look. "Does he know what to do for this?" He waved in Mako's direction.

"I do not know, but a message must be sent to Marvelous," she lowered her voice, "and the others. They must know what has transpired this evening."

"Alright," Doc agreed, a little unsure despite Ahim's insistence. "I'll go see if I can find him."

"Please hurry," Ahim pressed. "I fear the situation may become worse before it becomes better." Doc nodded, fumbling with the latch on the door for a moment before hurtling himself out into the hallway.

"You think it's that bad?" Genta asked in the silence left behind.

Ahim looked at the tall, dark-haired man beside her, her expression unreadable. "You do not?"

Genta looked at Mako's cold, prone form and grimaced.

* * *

Marvelous glanced up at the noise near the door, his brows furrowing for a moment as he wondered who would have the audacity to interrupt this meeting. Spotting the pale, pinched features of his second-in-command Marvelous felt his gut clench in trepidation though none of it showed on his face. Catching Marvelous' distraction, Luka too looked up. Her expression didn't change in front of their guests but her fingers tightened ever so slightly where they rested against her crossed arms.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Marvelous grinned and stood as Joe signaled him over. "Any further questions you may have can be directed to Luka. She can answer any further inquiries about the plan without my assistance."

With a calm that belied the nagging twinge of anxiety inside his chest, Marvelous strode casually but purposefully in Joe's direction, nodding towards a hidden door on his right. The moment the door shut snuggly behind the pair of them Marvelous turned to his stalwart companion with a tight frown. "What's happened?"

"Ahim –"

Alarm strummed through him and he took a step closer to Joe. "What's happened to Ahim? Is she alright?"

"She's fine," Joe assured his captain in a patient but firm tone. "It's the general's wife – Shiba Mako. Apparently she was found half-frozen in the snow behind the stables tonight." He paused, his lips pressing together, a sure sign of his concern that alarmed Marvelous more than if Doc had come running in shouting the news. "It doesn't look good."

Marvelous' frown deepened, genuine concern rising inside him. He rather liked the Shiba woman; she was tough and nearly as stubborn as he.

"Apprise the Shiba group of the situation," he informed his companion. "And if you can arrange it, allow the loud one – the princess' caretaker – in to see her. If he's been looking after her for this long, then he would surely know better than any doctor we could find at this time of night as to what's best for her."

"And the others?"

Marvelous shook his head. "The less we involve the safer we'll all be."

"The Shiba general won't like that."

"No," Marvelous agreed with a slight frown, "he won't. But I won't try smuggling him in unless it's a last resort. The king would love nothing more than to catch Shiba inside his castle like a rat in a trap." He looked at his lieutenant. "I can guarantee neither of them will survive then." Joe nodded grimly before turning on his heel and striding out the door to follow his captain's orders.

Marvelous raked a hand through his dark hair and expelled a deep burst of air from his lungs as the door closed behind Joe with a soft _click_. He didn't envy his lieutenant's task.

* * *

"Mama! Mama!" A little voice rang out in between childish giggles as she ran from her mother's reaching hands.

"I'm going to get you!" Mako called back, teasing, as she chased her daughter around the private garden enclosed within their quarters. Sunlight glinted off of dark hair and mischievous eyes as Mako lunged forward and scooped her child up into her arms, her daughter's shriek of laughter bouncing off the walls. Mako twirled them around in a tight circle before setting her little girl back on the ground whereupon Ayako immediately took off running across the grass, giggling like mad.

Mako took a moment to catch her breath even as she kept a watchful eye over her rambunctious toddler.

"Are we getting old?" A voice teased from the wooden porch surrounding the garden and Mako looked over with a grin.

"Says the one observing from her seat in the shade."

Kaoru scoffed at the challenge, sliding to the ground with a natural ease to join Mako in the sunshine. "You know, I never once lost to Takeru in this game."

Mako's grin only grew. "Then I'm sure you will have no trouble against a two-year-old." She waved her arm in the direction of her daughter.

Kaoru patted Mako on the shoulder. "Leave it to me."

Mako watched with an ever blooming joy as her daughter dodged to the side, just managing to escape her aunt's grasp as a new game of chase began. She laughed when Kaoru nearly stumbled into a bush when Ayako ducked out of reach once again.

"Having trouble, Kaoru?" A new, highly amused voice called from the porch. Mako turned to see Takeru, followed closely by Kotoha and Chiaki settle on the porch.

"Your daughter is as slippery as a goldfish," Kaoru growled, the effect of the words lost by the large grin on her face.

"I'll help," Kotoha called as she jumped off the porch and entered the game. "You come from the left, I'll take the right." Mako doubled over in laughter when Kotoha tripped on the hem of her clothing and face planted into the grass, Ayako scooting right past her with Kaoru hot on her heels. Mako used one hand to wipe the tears of mirth from her eyes as the other pressed against her chest, trying to catch her breath.

She blinked in confusion as something colorful fell across her vision for a moment before she felt the noose tightening around her neck, choking off her air. Her hands automatically jumped to her neck, fingers sliding along the silken cord as she tried to pry it off. She looked back at the porch only to feel her gut clench in terror.

Her family was laughing, too distracted by the game at hand to notice the assassin, his blade held high behind them until, with a great sweep of his arm, he slashed the sword deep through Takeru's back, the point of it sticking out of his chest like a grotesque silver stamen, scarlet petals blossoming from its center. Mako's vision filled with crimson, the world around her stained in blood until all she could see was an ocean of red, the bitter tang of iron pungent on her tongue. She struggled to breathe, drowning, choking on the gore until the darkness swallowed her whole.

From somewhere in the endless night she heard snatches of voices she almost recognized, some as impossible as the next – Kotoha's, Kaoru's, Ryunosuke's, even her mother's voice all seemed to be calling out to her, urging her on. But to where or why, she didn't know. Everything ached, her body in flames one minute and breathless with chills the next.

Had she died? Was this what had awaited her in the afterlife? An endless cycle of pain and torture in payment for what she had done – _what she had failed to do_ – in life?

" _Hime_ …drink..."

"Ryunosuke?" Mako mumbled in confusion, her head heavy and swirling endlessly from the rapid decent of dreams to nightmares, memories mixing together until she couldn't tell truth from falsehood. She paid dearly for her question, dissolving into a fit of coughing that shot fire through her lungs and throat.

" _Please_ …will help." Another voice pleaded, the distorted sound of it bringing images of Kotoha to her mind. But Kotoha wasn't here. No one was here. There was nothing but blood and pain to accompany her now.

Something unyielding pressed against her lips, a warm liquid pushing itself into her mouth and suddenly she was back in her rooms at the palace. It was the third time someone had tried to poison her, and Ryunosuke was urging her to drink something he had made. Kotoha was by his side, holding Mako's hand tightly in her own, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded with Mako not to leave her.

"It'll help, _Hime_. I promise," Ryunosuke had told her, though he had turned an ashen pallor and his eyes were desperate.

Mako struggled to obey at their insistence even as her throat closed tighter and tighter, but when she looked back at the two they had vanished. In their place was Kamilla, her eyes bright with twisted vengeance as she tilted the contents of the cup further into Mako's mouth. With a frantic burst of energy born from instinctual survival she managed to spit out the offending liquid.

" _No_ ," she promised, clamping her mouth shut, determined to fight off every last bit of Kamilla's attempts to get her to drink again. With a cry of frustration, Kamilla turned to a man standing in the corner Mako hadn't noticed before. Her heart tripping as she recognized the figure.

" _Takeru_ ," she breathed in bewilderment, her heart racing in her chest.

Kamilla marched over to Takeru and stood toe-to-toe with him, her posture bristling with desperation. "It's not working," she hissed.

"No," he cut in curtly as she opened her mouth to continue. "I told you, only as a last resort."

Kamila waved furiously in Mako's direction. "How much worse does it have to be before you agree? When she's _dead?!_ " Her voice rose several octaves at the end. Takeru frowned, his arms crossed tightly across his chest as he looked at the woman in front of him. He glanced over at Mako, surprise flitting across his eyes as he realized she was looking back at him.

"Takeru?" She questioned, her voice pathetically small and weak, chest heaving for air in quick, rapid breaths. Confusion melted into genuine concern as he realized she was calling out to him, but he kept his distance.

Finally, reluctantly, he nodded at Kamilla.

With a grim, triumphant look in her eyes, she side-stepped Takeru and rushed out the door, Chiaki fast on her heels. With a heavy sigh Takeru turned towards the door himself.

" _Don't!_ " Mako gasped, making him glance back over his shoulder at her. His eyes were wary, shoulders tight with unease. "Don't… _leave_." She managed between several breaths. " _Please_ …don't go."

"Mako?" Genta's voice sounded from somewhere on her other side, but she couldn't summon the energy to turn and find him. "Take-chan is –"

" _Please_ ," she pleaded, ignoring Genta's attempts at getting her attention. She watched as Takeru's mouth hardened into a grim line, turning his back on her with great effort before striding out the door without another word.

With the closing of the door, Mako's world dissolved and she sank gratefully back into the darkness, anything to escape the pain and torment of his departure from her world.

* * *

A heavy sigh sounded from somewhere next to her and Mako cracked her eyes open only to wince from the bright light of the lanterns. Her sudden movement alerted her companion.

"Mako?"

"Hmm?" She responded, coughing from the soreness in her throat. Immediately his hand was rubbing her back, soothing away the pain until she managed to get ahold of her gasping breath.

"I shouldn't have let you stay out in the snow so long; you're not used to this climate yet," he chastised himself as she looked over her shoulder to meet his gaze with a watery smile.

"It was too fascinating to go back inside."

He shook his head at her, but he couldn't entirely hide the smile tucked into the corner of his lips. "Next time we're going to make sure you're bundled up until you can barely walk, and even then it will only be for short periods," he teased her.

Mako scrunched her nose at him, covering her mouth with the corner of her blanket to hide her cough. "How upset is Ryunosuke?"

"Fairly," he answered and she grimaced. He let out a quiet chuckle at the look of apprehension that filtered into her eyes. "We'll probably never hear the end of it," he agreed with her unspoken thoughts. "I thought he was going to have my head when we told him you'd taken ill. If it hadn't been for Genta putting him in a headlock, you might be looking for a new husband right now."

Mako's laugh dissolved into another fit of coughing. She felt Takeru's strong arms lift her until she was reclining against his chest, the position making it easier to breathe, even if it did make her pulse race more furiously. "Thank you," she murmured with a blush – _would she ever stop flushing at such intimate contact?_ – before tentatively lacing the fingers of her right hand through his. "But I would rather keep the one I have."

"That's a relief," he breathed across her temple before planting a chaste kiss there.

Distracted by the fluttering of her heart, it took a moment to realize he was holding a short, glazed cup in front of her nose. "What's that?"

"Ryunosuke made it; it will help."

Her blush deepened as his hands fit around her shaky ones, helping her to bring it to her lips. She sputtered at the bitter taste, heart hammering in her chest as she felt the laughter in Takeru's chest against her back. "Can't he make something easier to swallow?"

"They do it on purpose," he told her in a conspiratorial whisper. "It's to remind us of the consequences of foolhardy actions."

"Because being sick isn't enough of a reminder," Mako muttered mutinously.

"Here," Takeru handed her a warm, thick mug of something that steamed once she had choked down Ryunosuke's tonic. "Something to wash it down with."

Mako took a tentative sip and sighed in appreciation as the sweet taste of honey and herbal tea mixed on her tongue.

"Better?"

"Mm." She murmured around the rim of her cup, unable to stop her smile as his chest shook in silent laughter. After a few more sips Mako felt her eyelids grow heavy, her body dragging itself down with them. Dimly she felt Takeru shift behind her until she was lying back under her covers once more. As he leaned over to gently press a kiss against her forehead, Mako felt a surge of panic she couldn't explain.

"Don't go," she whispered, her voice slurring in odd places.

"I'm right here," he told her and she felt his weight settle next to her before he tucked her into the warmth of his arms.

"…love you…" she murmured as she soaked in his presence, the panic that had been threatening to drown her abating. Fingers brushed away her sweaty bangs as she began to drift. She sighed his name once more before sleep claimed her.

* * *

When Mako next opened her eyes, she felt as exhausted as if she had never slept at all. It took her a moment to recognize her surroundings, her eyes taking time to focus on the all too familiar cold, stone walls and sparse furnishings. Faint candlelight flickered, casting ever-shifting shadows across everything and confusing her senses as she tried to figure out what time it was.

Had she awoken in the middle of the night from a nightmare? Or was she still in one?

She sighed quietly, wincing at the effect it had on her lungs. The tiny expulsion of air making her chest ache.

Mako cast back over her hazy and tangled memories, unsure which ones were dreams and which were reality. Her brow furrowed. She remembered cleaning out the stables in the snow, pushing herself with a reckless determination to finish and return to the illusionary warmth of the castle.

Was that it then? Had she returned and fallen right to sleep? But then why did she feel so hollow inside? Had she skipped her meal as well? She blinked in confusion. If she had missed a meal, Genta would have come searching for her. If he'd felt that it was too great a risk to do it himself he would've sent Ahim, not that the young woman wouldn't have done the same of her own accord.

Maybe they had already looked in on her and Ahim was asleep? But then why leave the candle burning?

Mako tried to roll onto her side to view the other side of the room only to receive a great shock as her body refused to move. When had she become so weak? Summoning up her sparse supply of energy she settled for shifting her head across the pillow instead.

Her heart jumped in her throat as she realized that she definitely wasn't alone in the room. The shadowed outline of a person – _a man_ – sat in a chair, his back to the lone candlelight near her bed. She worked to focus her gaze on him, trying to discern who it was. His hair was too dark to be Doc, and too short to be Joe. Perhaps it was Genta? As her eyes skimmed over familiar features, Mako felt her heart skip a beat in her chest.

" _Takeru?_ "

The name slid off her tongue before she could catch it. Eyes blurring with tears, she turned to press her face into her pillow with the smallest of groans.

"Mako?" She heard rustling as the man awoke at the sound. "Mako? What's the matter? Are you in pain?"

Mako wished she could summon enough energy to press her hands against her ears – anything to block out the familiar cadence. Instead she pressed further into the pillow, biting her bottom lip against a grimace of pain that was as much a protest from her aching body as it was her heart.

"Go away," she whispered to the phantom.

"Mako?"

" _Please_ ," she begged the apparition. "Go away. Stop torturing me."

"Mako, I –"

"You're not really _here_ ," she whispered to the memory as much as herself. Were her dreams not painful enough? Now they had to torment her when she woke?

Silence echoed in the room and Mako began to hope that the hallucination had vanished when warm, calloused fingers gently brushed away the damp strands of hair that had fallen across her face. Mako's eyes sprang open at once, terrified that she was dreaming even now. She felt her bed dip under added weight, and hands shifting her head until she met familiar dark eyes that were now pinched at the corners with worry.

Her gaze roved his face, taking note of every feature, every flaw, every piece of him that made her memories pale in comparison. He looked older, carrying a weight of uncertainty and pain that he hadn't before, even during his stay in Aduro.

Terrified that it was still an incredibly lucid dream, Mako slowly, painstakingly moved an arm out from beneath her covers to hover, shaking, in the cool air between them. She reached for his face, trembling both with the effort and the repercussions if this turned out to be nothing more but the desperate illusion of her mind. She paused, a breath away from touching him, fingers curling back for a moment in hesitation before she let them settle.

Tears sprang to her eyes anew as she felt solid warmth beneath her fingertips. He shuddered at her touch, one hand rising to cover hers, holding it to his cheek as his eyes fluttered shut.

" _Takeru?_ " She breathed.

He looked at her, eyes swimming with emotion before he bent forward and pressed his lips against hers.

Mako's tears fell fast and hard as overwhelming relief swept through her, her arm pushing out of his grip to wrap around his neck, holding him as close as her exhausted muscles would allow. At the same instant his arms slid around her, drawing her up and against him, supporting her body with his own. Mako broke off the kiss to bury her face into his shoulder, releasing all her pent-up emotions at once, and Takeru gathered her close, placing a chaste kiss at her temple, letting her cry herself out as he rocked her, murmuring soothingly into her ear.

Mako didn't know how long they held each other in the quiet of the lone candlelight, but eventually her tears subsided, leaving her completely drained and holding onto consciousness through sheer stubborn willpower. Head resting against his chest, Mako glanced down at the hand that lay entangled with hers as his other rubbed calming circles into her back. "How?" she asked, her voice raspy.

His fingers tightened around hers, and he hugged her close for a long moment. "I almost lost you." Mako squeezed her eyes shut, listening to his heartbeat quicken beneath her ear in remembrance.

"They finally brought Ryunosuke in, but you were delirious. You had no strength left but you still fought him off." She wondered at the faintest change of tone in his voice at the revelation before releasing his breath in a quiet sigh. "I was the last resort."

Mako wondered, vaguely, what would have become of her if Takeru hadn't been close at hand. She grimaced, imagining all too well. "I almost lost you, too," she ventured after a moment, the words hanging heavily in the air between them. He kissed her forehead. "They told me you were alive, but," she bit her lip before letting loose a shaky breath. "Until I saw you…"

"I know."

"I love you." Her fingers gripped the cuff of his sleeve with all of the strength she had which was shockingly lacking but she didn't let it distract her. "I didn't think…I'd have a chance to say it…I never said it enough…I love you, Takeru, so much. Losing you – it's like losing air…from my lungs." As if to enforce this point, her body labored to breathe, exhausted by both her words and actions.

Takeru gathered her close, cupping the back of her head with his hand to keep it upright and against his shoulder, her body too weak to do it itself. "I love you too," he murmured against her temple, his body trembling slightly. "Don't scare me like that again."

"You did…first," Mako mumbled, fighting a losing battle against the darkness that schemed to pull her under again. She was too exhausted to smile as Takeru's body shook from silent laughter.

"I'm sorry," he apologized.

"Me too," she sighed or at least thought she did.

"Rest," was the last thing she heard before the darkness consumed her once more.


	11. The Lies We Tell

**Author's Note:** Short and bittersweet. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.

* * *

 _ **Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum**_

 _Chapter Ten: The Lies We Tell_

"How's the princess getting along?"

"Better," Gai answered his captain with a tight smile. "At least, that's what Doc says."

"The mother hen still hovering over his chick?"

Gai couldn't hold back his laughter. "Any longer and he'll be taking up permanent residency."

Marvelous' eyes sparked with a masked feeling, his grin a little unsettling. "Wouldn't that be something?"

Gai's smile fell. "They almost lost her, you know."

The dark-haired captain gave a casual shrug of indifference. "Those hallucinations are quite the parlor trick."

"She thought you were her husband," Gai deadpanned, his tone unusually serious.

"Not nearly long enough for any real fun though," Marvelous threw his spymaster a wicked grin. A small noise sounded in the corner, one that could almost be mistaken for a sigh of exasperation if the captain hadn't known any better. He raised an eyebrow at his second-in-command. "Something to add, Joe?"

Joe stood from the table where he had been going over some notes, grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair and shrugging it on in one fluid motion. "No," he said after an interminable pause.

"It's not a joke, Marvelous," Gai added, his brows furrowing. "Even Ryunosuke couldn't get to her. If you hadn't let Takeru in when you did –"

"Against my better judgment," Marvelous muttered more to himself than to anyone in particular. "Now the idiot's gone and got it into his head that he can just stroll up to the castle whenever he takes a fancy, risking his neck and, more importantly, _ours_."

"Is that what's got you so riled up?" Luka chimed in as she slid in the door, blowing on her fingers to warm them up after several hours out in the cold on lookout. "He's only visiting in the dead of night and only for a couple hours at that. It's been necessary," she added with a frown when his expression hardened at the reminder.

"The necessity of it is over."

"Hardly," Luka scoffed with a flippant wave of her hand, turning to hang up her scarf and coat on a peg hammered into the wall.

"I thought she was getting better," Gai said, concern coloring his face. Even Joe paused for a moment where he was wrapping his own scarf around his neck to listen.

"Her fever spiked again," Luka informed them with a brusqueness that belied her concern. "She's still having difficulty breathing and she's not eating enough, or at least, that's what Ahim said."

" _Luka_ ," Marvelous' voice held a note of exasperation in his warning even as she crossed her arms over her chest in defiance. "You can't order me away from Ahim, Marvelous."

His chin was set at a mulish angle. "Is that so?"

Luka merely raised a delicate brow at him, her stance immovable. "I'd like to see you try." The two stared each other down, tempers flaring until Gai broke in. "C'mon, guys, don't we have enough fighting to worry about without it coming from each other?" When the two didn't budge Gai made to move to stand in between them, but Joe's hand on his shoulder kept him from doing more than rising halfway out of his chair.

"She's my sister, too," Luka said in the quiet and the three watched Marvelous' shoulders fall just a fraction.

"I know."

"We all care about her, Marvelous," Gai added in the ensuing silence. "And we need Shiba's help. If Ahim were in Mako's position right now, any one of us would be doing exactly what they are."

"Aren't we already?" Joe asked without inflection and Marvelous sighed gustily, raking a hand through his hair in frustration. A captain had to know when to bend to the will of his crew lest there be a mutiny.

"Fine, but only one of them at a time, and the Shiba lord only in the dead of night."

Gai's smile was as immediate as if someone had just lit a candle. "Done and done."

"And only a couple hours," Marvelous barked.

"Yes, yes," Luka placated, sidling up to her captain's side and sliding an arm around his waist, threading her chilled fingers through his warm ones. "We hear ya."

"I mean it," Marvelous called to his lieutenant's back as Joe made his way out of the room. "We don't want to blow this out of the water at the last." Joe waved his hand above his head to signal that he had heard before letting himself out and shutting the door firmly behind.

"You lot are going to be the death of me," Marvelous muttered.

"But you love us anyway," Luka quipped before placing a cool kiss to her captain's flushed cheek.

* * *

Mako felt the bed dip under added weight and she struggled to pry her eyelids open, her gaze unfocused and blurry as she blinked in the lone candlelight. She felt a press of lips against the top of her head and stirred fitfully under the covers tucked in tight around her. "Takeru?"

"Sleep," he told her in response but she stubbornly shook her head. She'd slept through his arrival the night before, sinking into a deeper and less troubled slumber than she had done since she'd been in this thrice accursed place.

Placing her palms flat against the bed she tried to push herself into a sitting position on shaking limbs. Takeru was beside her in an instant, sliding behind her and helping to lift her up to lean against his body in support since she still lacked so much of her own.

"You should be resting," he told her but his scolding tone was lost in how tightly his arms embraced her, holding her close.

"I am," she reminded him, threading her fingers through his where they rested against her stomach. "More than I would if you weren't here." She felt him sigh behind her, the movement too quiet to have heard with her ears. She let her lids flutter closed, the feel of his heartbeat against her back more soothing than any lullaby she'd ever known, so strong and reassuring and _alive_. "Takeru?"

"Hmm?"

"How – how did you survive?" Her voice was quiet even in the silence of the room. She knew Ahim was out in the hallway somewhere, keeping watch with Joe or Doc or Luka or whomever was on duty that night. Genta and Ryunosuke were likely just on the other side of the door, but it seemed to be an unspoken agreement amongst them all that they give the couple some privacy. It made Mako feel safe in a way she hadn't in months, knowing her friends and family were so near at hand even if she worried non-stop about their safety with every painful inhale of breath.

Takeru held her close, resting his chin upon her head. "You saved me," he murmured in wonder, still amazed at their one stroke of luck. "The pendant," he elaborated at her noise of confusion. "It deflected part of the blade where it would've pierced my heart. It wasn't an insignificant wound, but your gift kept it from being instantly fatal." She squeezed his hands in response, tears welling behind her closed eyelids, unable to respond for a moment. He understood anyways. "It took a while to heal enough that I could come after you. It was…maddening, but Kaoru was adamant."

"How is she?"

"Worried," Takeru said after a moment. "Frustrated, angry as hell. She would have come as well but her presence would be too easily missed in comparison to mine. For all anyone knows I'm either still in the hands of the court physicians or dead." Mako's fingers trembled in his at the thought and how easily it could've been true. He held her closer until her shaking eased. "Sorry."

"Don't be," she murmured. "Kotoha?" She'd seen Chiaki briefly when she'd awoken once, but they hadn't been able to talk. Her temperature had been spiking again and she'd been waking sporadically between fever-dreams.

She could feel the smile in his voice as he answered. "Furious at being left behind. Chiaki had a hell of a time convincing her to stay with Takeshi and the girls." Mako shifted at her son's name, her breath quickening. "He's fine," Takeru soothed. "Confused and misses his mother, but well protected. Genta kept him safe from all harm in the market and Kotoha has never let him out of her sight since, or so Kaoru told me." He felt Mako relax at the news. "Eiji?"

"He's beautiful, Mako. The captain has been as good as his word. He's well looked after." There was a long silence, then, "I'm sorry I wasn't there."

"Me too." Tears danced behind her closed eyes as she remembered the chaos of his birth. The pain she'd felt in her heart not only her body; brining their child into the world in such a dark, cruel place, not knowing if Takeru was even alive. She shied away from the memories, turning her face into Takeru's shoulder. He untangled their fingers to brush away the damp hair plastered to her face, making soothing noises as he did so, but she would not be comforted.

"You already know, don't you?" She felt Takeru tense beneath her. "You haven't once…you haven't asked about Ayako." Mako could feel her heart rate climbing, her breathing turning into short, quick gasps, unable to stop them and not caring enough to try. "You know."

"Yes." Takeru's voice was quiet as he gathered Mako close, his lips pressing together as her body shook in his arms. He felt her pain as acutely as his own.

"I'm sorry," she gasped. "For not...being a better mother…I couldn't – couldn't protect them…our children."

" _Mako._ " Takeru had never felt more helpless than he did now, not even when the false king had had him dragged from Mako's rooms, threatening her harm if he'd failed to cooperate. Then he'd been angry, frustrated and filled with a hatred that could all be directed toward the man who had played with their lives like puppets on a string. Takeru had been surprised at the time to discover that his concern for her well-being had far exceed that of his own, but had known help was on the way – that it might come in time to save her even if it wouldn't for him. But there was no help coming this time. They were on their own. Kaoru wouldn't be coming; couldn't risk open war against a country so far away that knowingly held one of her own hostage, not against rulers who would take such great and personal pleasure in killing Mako long before they arrived. No, Kaoru's hands were tied. Where many would not succeed this time, she had to trust that a few might.

And Takeru was used to fighting, had been training all his life to protect and defend that which he held dear. But what good was that training now? How could he protect that which he loved most from her own pain? From the knowledge of what had happened? Something that neither of them had been able to prevent or fight against. He grit his teeth against the words that pushed against his lips, remembering all too well the first conversation he'd held with the captain and his crew, the knowledge they'd shared about Mako's arrival and what had happened to her, their unborn child and their first born – their daughter, Ayako. He couldn't tell Mako what he knew, what he'd learned. All he could do was gather her close as she cried, as she mourned, her barely mended heart ripping open along its stitches to shatter anew.

"You are not to blame for _anything_ , Mako," he told her fiercely. "You've done so much – risked so much. Eiji is alive and well because of you. Ayako knows that too. Knows how hard you fought for her, protected her. She loves you, Mako, and doesn't blame you for what happened. _It wasn't your fault._ "

Mako only sobbed harder, her breathing coming in uneven gasps as she struggled for air with her already weak lungs. Her sobs gave way to coughing that wracked her frame and Takeru's heart clenched in his chest. He made a short, quiet whistling noise that had the door flying open, Genta and Ryunosuke's pale and drawn faces appearing at once.

With a muffled oath Ryunosuke produced a vial from beneath his layers of clothing and pressed it to Mako's lips as Takeru held her upright, murmuring encouragingly into her ear the entire time so that she wouldn't reject the liquid if she was caught in another bout of delirium. Genta hovered at the doorway, his concern palpable but on alert for any sound or presence in the hall.

"What happened?" Ryunosuke hissed, his face tight with strain, the dark circles under his eyes prominent.

"Ayako," Takeru murmured, too low for Mako to hear as the amber colored liquid took hold and her coughing began to ease, body relaxing as the sedative took hold. "She – it was about Ayako."

"What did you tell her?" Ryunosuke's tone was accusatory as he snapped out his question, and he visibly struggled to reign in his emotions, knowing Takeru was not to blame. "I apologize."

"I couldn't tell her anything," Takeru said, heedless of Ryunosuke's apology, his face gray and wretched as he stared down at his wife, her breathing shallow but more even, her face damp from tears and fever. "Only that it wasn't her fault."

Ryunosuke took in a deep, steadying breath. He huffed it out on a sigh and nodded, bringing his hand up to rest on Takeru's shoulder in a sign of camaraderie and comfort. "The sedative will hold her under until morning. She should rest." He looked up at a rustle near the door to see Genta standing aside for an exhausted-looking Ahim to enter, her silent and dark-haired companion no more than a step behind.

"What happened?" Ahim's soft voice asked into the quiet, the concern on her face obvious as she hurried to her roommate's side.

"She'll be fine," Ryunosuke assured the tired young woman, rubbing a hand across his own face as he did so. "I gave her a sedative." He read the look on Joe's face with a tightening of lips. "It could be addictive," he answered the unspoken question. "I don't want to give it to her often if it can be avoided."

Ahim was nodding before he'd finished speaking. "No one should be held sway by such drugs if it can be avoided." She brushed a gentle hand across Mako's face as Joe shifted uneasily on his feet. He looked at Ahim's weary form with a small frown. "Ahim…"

"I am fine, Joe," she assured him quietly. "I will rest soon. I promise." He looked like he wanted to argue but, acutely aware of their audience, kept his words to himself.

"Guys?" Doc's worried voice sounded at the door, his shock of blond hair bobbing like a ghost in the dark. "Gai says it's time."

"I will look after her," Ahim assured the two men who hovered by Mako's side. She stood to give them a moment to say their goodbyes and swayed. Joe's hands were immediately there to steady her. She looked up at him with a smile and a blush. "Thank you."

"You're going to rest," was all he said in reply as he directed her toward her own bed, his grip on her firm but gentle. Feeling eyes on the back of his neck he glanced over his shoulder to see Ryunosuke eyeing them curiously. Warmth rushed to the back of his neck but he kept his emotions off his face and concentrated on helping Ahim to sit as she murmured her thanks.

"C'mon, Take-chan, let's leave the ladies to rest," Genta murmured as he padded into the room, leaving Doc to keep anxious watch at the door. He helped his friend to stand on unsteady feet, the pained look on Takeru's face obvious as he was forced to leave her behind yet again. "I know," Genta told him, his voice too quiet to be overheard. "But she's not strong enough to travel yet, even if we did manage to get her out. And you getting caught by Almanzor or his fetching bride would only set Mako back even further. We can't help her if we can't stay safe ourselves. Let her rest."

Takeru nodded numbly at his oldest friend, his mind latching onto Genta's words even as heart screamed at him to stop with every stumbling step he took away from his wife's side. "Ryunosuke," Genta called over his shoulder as he helped his friend out. The prickly caretaker scowled but visibly pushed himself away from his charge's side, muttering darkly as he marched out of the room, his words a litany of curses upon Almanzor and his entire line and all the things he planned to do to them once he got his hands on them. Genta couldn't stop the grin that pulled at his lips, even as he kept a firm grip on his friend's arm, continuing to tug him out the door as Takeru glanced back, unable to draw his eyes away from Mako's dozing form until he couldn't see her anymore.

" _Joe_ ," Doc hissed from the doorway as Genta and company began to make their way down the darkened hallway. With a silent huff Joe too turned and headed for the open entryway, looking back only once as he moved to shut the door, catching Ahim's bright smile before the door hid her from view and following the trio.

As soon as the door's latch clicked shut, Ahim felt her bright smile dim, exhaustion sweeping over her and she shivered in the room, pulling the blankets of her bedding higher. "Please," she entreated to the heavens, "watch over them and keep them safe."

A small noise sounded in the otherwise silent room and with a patient sigh, Ahim struggled out from beneath the blankets, draping them around her like a shawl to move quietly to her roommate's side. She fussed with Mako's blankets, tucking in the other woman with quick, sure fingers, brushing stray dark hairs off of Mako's face in the process.

"You are okay, Ms. Mako," she began then halted abruptly at the sight of new tear tracks on the other woman's face. "Oh, Ms. Mako. I am sorry, so terribly sorry." She dipped a clean cloth into a bowl of water sitting beside the bed and dabbed at Mako's face with it. "You are not okay. Neither of us is, are we? I apologize for the lie. It has become an unfortunate habit, I'm afraid. No harm was meant by it, quite the opposite, in fact."

She bit her lip as the other woman shifted uneasily in her sleep, murmuring something too unintelligible for Ahim to hear. "I hope you can forgive me for it one day, Ms. Mako. Forgive all of us."

Her eyes welled with tears for Mako's pain, her heart aching at the thought of what she must be going through and wondered if she'd have the strength to continue on as Mako had. "This is not your fault, Ms. Mako. If anyone is to blame it should be me.

"We need your help, Ms. Mako. _I_ need your help. I too want to keep my family safe. If I hadn't…" She sighed and shook her head. "What has been done is done. Lamenting our past actions will do us no good now, not if we are to continue forward. And I need you to continue forward, Ms. Mako. _They_ need you to continue forward – your friends, your family, your husband and children… You must pull through this. You _will_ pull through this. You are strong enough, Ms. Mako.

"Do not let them win," she whispered fervently. "Do not let them break you. Do not let them inflict more pain on your family. You can survive this. You _will_ survive this, and one day it shall fade into nothing more than a dark memory, obscured by all that is bright and good in the future. And –" Her breath caught, silent tears trailing down her own face. "Maybe then you will find it in your heart to forgive us the falsehood we tell to keep you here. To keep you fighting though you long for nothing more than the sweet allure of peace."


End file.
